Teamtalk report the Toon have put a £22 million price tag on YKD, while the Sunday Sun's back page headline is "Keep off Nol & Dyer".

The S/Sun reports Bobby saying last night that he wouldn't sell YKD for £20mm - so technically I suppose the two reports could still be consistent.

The paper emotively says Bobby has challenged the Board to help him build a side capable of fulfilling the ambitions of both Solano & Dyer. "They are two of our most inventive players and we have to keep them here. A Club like this should not be thinking about selling Kieron Dyer - we should be adding to him. Would I sell him for £20mm - no. I have never thought about selling him. I think there is only one bigger Club than us anyway, and that is manure. We have to put together a group of players good enough for Kieron not to want to leave".

They say BR will lobby the Board to give Dyer - in the second year of a five year deal - an extension to his Contract.

On Solano, he added "Nobby has another year on his contract, the Club know what needs to be looked at, and they will deal with it. In an ideal world we don't want him to go. He likes Newcastle, he knows we like him, and the Chairman knows I would like him to stay. We are a big Club; we have got think big and make sure we don't lose our best players".

Words of real wisdom - I only hope Bobby's boss is listening, as reading between the lines it looks as though the situation with Solano is far from secure, and it also suggests to me that both players are looking for clear signs of real ambition from the Board.

The S/Sun also reports that the Toon have enquired about one of Turkey's top defenders, Galatasary's 23 yr-old international Fatih Akyel. He is a right-sided defender, and a regular in the national side. The players Agent claims talks have stalled as the Toon are not prepared to meet Galatasary's £4mm valuation, being not prepared to go beyond £3mm.

Denis Lawrence, the giant Trinidadian who had trials with us earlier in the season, is close to moving to a Nationwide Club for £50,000.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2001

Answers

We can't lose Dyer or Nobby. They're both vital players to our team. Look at the FA Cup replay against Villa. We had no invention at all in the team.

Dyer should be tied up on a very long term contract - I say 10 years, and Nobby should be given his £28,000 a week that he wants. If the board think Shearer is worth £40k, then Nobby is easily worth £28k.

Both vital players, got to keep them.

We don't really need a right back now, left back would be nice.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2001

Both simple and obvious I think Alan

Bobby is making it clear that he has done his bit - juggling around with a dedpleted squad.

Now he wants what he has repeatedly stated as being phase two. Buying in quality and using this as an incentive to detract the real quality from looking for success elsewhere.

On yesterdays performance, it must make YBR realise with a few carefully chosen additions and the return of the long term crocks, he is quite close.

Well chosen words at the end which I hope our chairman noted in that one or two results going the other way and we could have been in deep doodoo

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2001

It is unthinkable to loes Nobby and Dyer and even Gary Speed has said that we have to keep them if we want to have a hope of winning anything. Having said that, Nobby is interviewed in Match nad says he loves us and doesn't want to go anywhere.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2001

What about Big Al? If someone came in with a decent bid should we sell?

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2001

>>>Fatih Akyel eh?

I remember him playing in Black and White. Top entertainer - world class. Mind, I think Charlie Chaplin gave him a good run for his money.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2001

As for Nobber and Solano, I agree we can't allow either to go. As I've said elsewhere, we need to supplement the team, not deplete it. A good signing or two this season could make the difference between passports and p155-pots.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2001