Toon go cool on ice man by John Gibson Photo Caption: Eidur Gudjohnsen NEWCASTLE target Eidur Gudjohnsen is over-priced at #6 million.

That's the feeling inside St James's Park as Bolton try to cash in on their Icelandic striker.

However, manager Bobby Robson hasn't lost interest and may go in with a cut-price offer of around #4 million if he fails to land another striker who remains his No 1 target.

Bolton have put Gudjohnsen up for sale after failing to win promotion to the Premiership via the play-offs.

Auction

The 21-year-old scored 21 goals in his first season at the Reebok Stadium and manager Sam Allardyce admitted: "If at the end of the day he's one of those players who has to be sold we'll get the best deal we can. Eidur has been absolutely outstanding."

Gudjohnsen has excelled in four matches against Premiership opposition in the season just ended to indicate that he wouldn't be out of place in the top flight.

Nevertheless, Newcastle feel that Bolton, under pressure from their bank, are looking for a killing and won't be sucked into an auction though they are interested at a more realistic price.

Newly-promoted Manchester City, Aston Villa and Chelsea are also on the trail of Gudjohnsen

However, Robson has another iron in the fire and will attempt to seal that deal first. If he fails to get his top striker then he could revert to the Bolton whiz kid.

Bobby wants to supplement the goalscoring prowess of his skipper Alan Shearer next season, and with Duncan Ferguson injury prone he has little back-up.

Temuri Ketsbaia could well be jettisoned. The Georgian failed to impress Robson and has become increasingly disenchanted with his lack of first-team starts.

Blackburn boss Graeme Souness has shown interest in both Ketsbaia and Andy Griffin but United will not be keen to sell their young defender.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2000

Answers

I have a feeling 'it' could be Luis Enrique, although I wouldn't really describe him as a striker.
The key for me is still whether BR intends to play with the twin CF system that needs to be employed with AS & DF. If so, he MUST get another big striker who could play that system if/when DF is injured - otherwise we have to completely change the team pattern when this happens. If this is his intention we could do worse than to go for either Chris Sutton or Carl Cort at say #5mm.
If he doesn't intend to play this system then we should get rid of DF and buy two strikers like Matt Jansen and Giles de Bilde. Just a thought, but Gianfranco Zola is also probably available.
The other possibility, if no one is preared to invest a big wedge on DF, would be to use him purely as a stand-by for AS, and bring in a more nimble and mobile stiker who could partner either of them.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2000

If 'it' happens it will make my summer A superb signing Enrique would be fingers crossed

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2000

Hmm - Clarky. You'd rather see us spend #5M on Sutton than #6M on Gudjohnson. I also think that EJ is a better bet that Carl Cort at that sort of price bracket. I do see merit in your DF as AS backup. This could give Shearer some rest and allow DF to be used more sparingly. But it all depends on Toon bringing in at leat one top striker - something I have bleated on and on about for years!

But as ever, I will leave it to YBR.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2000

Screacher,

To be honest mate I'm not sure. I've never the Good-Johnson lad play live, and only seen him a couple of times on telly - when frankly he hasn't particularly left a lasting impression on me, other than in scoring one absolutely blinding goal this season. I'm happy to leave the actual player selection to BR.
The miserable point I was trying to make is that "who" Bobby goes for depends on "how" he intends to play.
If he really does intend to play with two CF's - which I actually doubt - then IMO we could do worse than buying Chris Sutton for say #5mm (but not #10mm). If he doesn't intend to do so, then Good-Johnson MAY be a better bet than Jansen or de Bilde to partner Big Al.
(End of sermon, brethren)

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2000

Doubt he is "it", but Bobby Robson is rumoured to be interested in 20 year old Danish striker, Peter Lovenkrands, who plays for AB Copenhagen. He is apparently rated as one of the hottest properties in Scandinavian football and is valued at #1 million.
Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Juventus are also said to be interested.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2000