Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson is ready to buy again after completing the £10m signing of Paris St Germain's Laurent Robert.

Robson has told chairman Freddy Shepherd that he wants to add another striker to his squad before the start of the Premiership season.

He badly needs another front man as a short-term measure because of injuries to Carl Cort and Alan Shearer, but Robson also wants to add to competition for places throughout the season.

"We are in the market place, but we're not going to do anything silly," said Shepherd.

Robert is expected to have a medical on Tyneside yesterday after finalising his £30,000 a week contract.

Robson, who has compared him to Ryan Giggs and John Barnes, said: "He is a natural winger and natural goalscorer who is happy to cut in and let fly.

"The fans will find him very exciting because he likes to go one on one against defenders."

Meanwhile, United chairman Shepherd has lit the fuse under next month's derby against Sunderland.

Newcastle finished below Sunderland in the league last season, but Shepherd still claims that they are still the biggest club in the North-East.

Newcastle expect a crowd of nearly 40,000 for Wednesday's Intertoto Cup tie against 1860 Munich, who trail 2-1 from the first leg. Victory for United will leave them just on round away from a place in the UEFA Cup - and that would give Shepherd the last laugh over Newcastle players who were upset over the club's decision to enter.

He said: "I got a lot of stick for going into the Intertoto from fans and even one or two players, but I feel vindicated now.

"You go to Torquay or Exeter in pre-season and they kick lumps out of you."

Sunderland, who won at Torquay on Saturday and face Exeter this week, have come under fire from some of their supporters for rejecting the chance to play in the Intertoto Cup.

Manager Peter Reid has consistently maintained that it would affect the Premiership form of his players.

But Shepherd said: "Five or six years ago it was a Mickey Mouse competition, but it isn't any longer. Football has moved on and the Intertoto is now a serious means to a serious end."

l Strikers Alan Smith and Robbie Keane both scored twice as Leeds registered their second successive 6-0 victory on their pre-season tour of Sweden.

Despite dominating for much of the first half against Kungsbacka, David O'Leary's side had only one goal to show for their efforts a Smith penalty awarded for a foul on Harry Kewell.

The Australian midfielder doubled the lead just after half-time before Jason Wilcox added a third.

Keane then scored his brace either side of Smith's second goal as Leeds ran their opponents ragged in the closing stages.