KIERON DYER'S agent Jonathan Barnett has slammed as "scandalous'' the public criticism aimed at the Newcastle United star since he was sent home in disgrace from the club's Spanish training camp.

Dyer, one of the Newcastle Four banished for snubbing a dinner held in honour of club president Sir John Hall, faces showdown talks with manager Bobby Robson and chairman Freddy Shepherd at St. James' Park next Tuesday.

Along with strikers Craig Bellamy and Carl Cort, and full-back Andy Griffin, £20m-rated midfielder Dyer will be read the riot act by United's embarrassed top brass.

But the quartet feel the club have over-reacted in ordering them to catch early-morning flights back to Tyneside on Wednesday, and imposing fines totalling £180,000.

And Barnett yesterday hit back at reports of drunkeness and brawling - and countered the club's statement that the players had been fined.

"It's scandalous,'' said Barnett. "They were not involved in a brawl, they were not involved in anything to do with drunkeness and they have not been fined.''

Welsh international Bellamy, who joined United in the summer in a £6m move from Coventry, denied allegations that he and his three teammates had been in a bar-room brawl with locals.

"It was a night out and that's all it was,'' said Bellamy. "There wasn't any trouble.''

But Newcastle will take a hard line, particularly with England international Dyer, who has already been rapped by Robson for past misdemeanours.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Robson has run the rule over Malaga's Dutch Under-21 midfielder Kiki Musampa while in Spain.

The United boss watched the 24-year-old in Malaga's 3-1 win over Sevilla. Congo-born Musampa has also been linked with Italian giants Lazio.

Robson is looking to land a long-term replacement for 35-year-old former England international Robert Lee, who had a transfer request turned down last month but is now in the final year of his contract.

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