GRAEME Souness last night fuelled speculation that Andrew Johnson will be a summer target for the Magpies by admitting he has already made an inquiry for the Crystal Palace striker.

United have already been linked with an end of season move for the Eagles' 20-goal marksman, and sources on Tyneside believe a bid has already been lodged with the south London club - but the initial offer has been turned down.

But with Craig Bellamy and Patrick Kluivert destined to fly the Magpies' nest in the summer the club are in dire need of another natural goalscorer, and Johnson seems to fit the profile Souness is looking for.

Souness has always believed you need two strikers who can hit 20 goals-plus a season if you are going to make a serious challenge for honours. At present United have only one in Alan Shearer.

The Newcastle boss thought Shola Ameobi could have delivered the goods providing he had a run of games in the side. But for all Ameobi's trickery and silky skills he is not a natural goalscorer.

Souness admitted making enquiries about Johnson's availability when he was Blackburn boss last season and waxed lyrical over the diminutive striker ahead of Newcastle's game with Crystal Palace this afternoon.

"When I was at Blackburn last year, Trevor Francis, a dear friend of mine, told me to go and buy him (Andy Johnson). I think he has surprised everyone, maybe even himself as well. He has had one great season in the Premiership and now has a challenge to do it three, four and five times.

"Andy Johnson has single handedly, almost, given them (Palace) a shout of staying in the Premiership," said the 51-year-old Scot.

"He has 20 goals. It is a phenomenal amount of goals for a player, who is playing for a team fighting for their lives, ten of them penalties I believe. We'll have to be guarded tomorrow."

Souness revealed he has been frustrated in his attempts to bring in new faces since he was installed in the St James' Park hot seat and lays the blame directly at the door of UEFA and its imposed transfer window.

"I've changed my opinion on the transfer window greatly," Souness confessed. "I used to think it was something we all had to work with and get on with it because we are all working to the same rules. Now I have to say I dislike it because with the window you are prevented from doing things.

"We've been looking to tie things up since Christmas. What we want and what will happen are two very different things.

"We've got written down the changes we would like to make here but writing it down on paper is the easy part. Trying to achieve your goals is the hard part.

"If you target three or four players, this one will cost that, this one will cost this. Then when you phone you're told they are not for sale and, if they were they are twice as much in value. So there's all sorts of hurdles to be jumped before we get there."

Souness repeated his mid-week comments about attracting top international players to St James' Park despite the absence of European football.

He said: "This is a fantastic football club. From experience I know how people view this football club in this country and outside this country.

"People I know when I got this job were saying, 'what a fantastic club' and 'what about the support'. 'If you can get that right the sky is the limit', although they didn't use that term that was the general theme of it. There will be no need to sell Newcastle United to any player."

Newcastle have had their fair share of peaks and troughs this season and a lesser individual would have walked away from the club given all the non-football problems that has plagued United this season.

Souness admitted he could have done without these distractions but says it has made him even more determined to deliver what the Geordie fans crave - silverware.

He said: "It has been a difficult season. I've not been disappointed in the passion that surrounds this club. Being in Cardiff, although there have been other reminders - I think it was a horrible experience - but it was a very special day for me because it took me back to when I was a player starting out at Liverpool with the kind of passion that was around that club at the time.

"After Cardiff it made me even more determined to give the fans what they want. This is a special football club and I repeat, it's not a case of if but when we give it to them."

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