NEWCASTLE are set to tie up the £1m signing of Sheffield United wing-back Wayne Quinn.

The Magpies last night confirmed they have agreed a deal with the Blades for the 24-year-old Cornishman.

Quinn completed a month's loan when he made his fourth appearance in Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Charlton, before flying to Spain with the rest of Bobby Robson's squad for a break in La Manga.

Robson offered £800,000 in a deal ultimately worth seven figures.

The Newcastle boss said: ''My opinion is that we should bring him in. He's not a bad player. He's English, left-footed and he'll only cost us around £1m.''

Newcastle chief Freddy Shepherd and opposite number Derek Dooley have been in talks for several days over Quinn's future.

Now he is poised to seal a deal by agreeing personal terms and putting pen to paper when the Geordies return from Spain later this week.

Quinn has been capped by England at B, Under-21 and youth level, but has struggled to make his mark at Bramall Lane under Neil Warnock after recovering from a serious knee injury.

Meanwhile, strike duo Alan Shearer and Carl Cort yesterday attempted to lift some of the 'Toon gloom' lingering in the Spanish sun as Robson cracked the whip at his players after their dismal Charlton setback.

Manager Robson pulled no punches, hitting out over his players' "pathetic'' and "abysmal'' efforts, as they stumbled to a humbling defeat in the televised clash at The Valley.

Skipper Shearer and £7m signing Cort, long-term absentees through injuries, stepped up their recovery at the start of the stay in Spain.

Shearer, sidelined since Christmas after undergoing knee surgery for tendinitis, is hoping to return to action in the home game against Manchester City a week on Saturday.

Cort won't be far behind as he battles to overcome hamstring problems which have kept him out for almost five months and resulted in an operation.

Robson needs his main strikeforce back quickly after the Magpies' third defeat in four games in League and Cup. He was furious with his side's lacklustre display against Charlton and is determined to turn a sunshine break into a week of hard labour.

Midfielder Gary Speed admitted: "We'll be working hard while we're away. The boss had a real go at us - and rightly so.

"We were awful in the first half. We know we let the fans down. We haven't won in London for 24 matches now, but we always sell our full allocation of tickets for games there.

"It's probably no consolation to the fans, but losing like that hurts us as much as it does them.''

* Newcastle midfielder Garry Brady, 24, is to spend a week on trial with First Division Portsmouth.

Pompey boss Steve Claridge said: ''He's a busy player who will get past people and we'd like to take a closer look at him.''

Newcastle have rearranged their home Premiership clash with Southampton for Tuesday, May 1 (8pm). The game was initially scheduled for Sunday, February 4, but was postponed less than two hours before kick-off because of snow.

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