Chilean midfielder Clarence Acuna was on Tyneside yesterday to complete his controversial £1m move to Newcastle.

The Geordies left Israeli agent Ronen Katzav fuming by dealing directly with the 25-year-old international's club University of Chile.

Katzav has threatened to report Newcastle to FIFA after they cut him out of negotiations, chairman Freddy Shepherd flying directly to Buenos Aires to thrash out a fee and personal terms in six hours of talks.

Newcastle have had enough of agent interference and are confident they are in the right following the involvement of Dennis Roach in deals for Duncan Ferguson and Craig Bellamy.

Shepherd took affairs into his own hands by jetting out to South America with general manager Russell Cushing to agree a deal with University president Pedro Gardenras at the weekend.

They are determined that Katzav will not get a rumoured cut of up to 50 per cent of the fee.

Acuna, who was scheduled to return to Santiago after completing a medical, will now have to wait for work permit approval.

But that shouldn't be a problem as he has more than 50 caps for his country. Acuna is the fifth South American on the Newcastle books and is likely to operate as an anchorman for midfielders like Kieron Dyer and Gary Speed.

He is clear of a three-month ban for allegedly taking a prohibited substance, although he continues to vehemently protest his innocence over that charge.

Acuna, one of the stars of last year's Copa America, had a trial at Newcastle at the end of August and said at the time: "I hope to create a good impression and clinch a move."

l French international Emmanuel Petit fears top players could be forced to take drugs simply to maintain their match fitness as football's calendar becomes increasingly overcrowded.

Barcelona midfielder Petit and his international team-mate Frank Leboeuf both claimed that the demands on the sport's star performers are just too high.

Petit's stark warning came as the pair returned to their respective clubs on Monday after playing two friendly games for France in four days - one in Paris, the other thousands of miles away in South Africa.

''I don't want drug taking to become commonplace in my sport,'' Petit told French daily Le Parisien. ''Unfortunately, we are heading in that direction.

''I have not had a single day's rest for two months. No athlete can repeat a maximum effort every three days.''

Chelsea central defender Leboeuf agreed that international calls combined with club commitments at home and in Europe threaten to burn out the top professionals.

Leboeuf acknowledged that he was lucky to have an understanding coach at Chelsea in Claudio Ranieri.