NEWCASTLE United assistant manager Chris Hughton has insisted that Joe Kinnear will have the final say on any players moving to Newcastle United this month.

The Magpies manager wants to bring at least four new faces to St James Park but, according to his number two at the club, they must be players targeted by him.

Kevin Keegan quit as manager in September due to what he saw as unwanted interference in transfer policy by directors Dennis Wise and Tony Jiminez. But Hughton insists the relationship between Kinnear and Wise has already worked well with the executive director working on a list of targets.

“Joe Kinnear is working as close as he needs to (with Dennis Wise),” said Hughton.

“What happens at the club is there’ll be a process set in place and of course Dennis Wise will be involved in that.

“But any players coming through will be the players that Joe Kinnear wants to bring to this club and of course the process has already been set in place and we’ll see where it takes us.”

One player unlikely to be heading to Newcastle is Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson– despite Kinnear publicly declaring his interest in the Scotland international and claiming inquiries have been to his availability.

Gers manager Walter Smith last night expressed “disappointment” with Newcastle for making their interest public without speaking to anyone at Ibrox.

Newcastle have also been linked with Rangers pair Madjid Bougherra and Allan McGregor, but Smith said: “You always get that at this time of the year. Players, managers, everyone has to handle that.

“We are obviously a bit disappointed Newcastle have said something without getting in touch with anyone at Ibrox first.

“I’m a bit surprised that has happened but it is done now. So far we haven’t heard anything from them.

“We have had one offer from Wolverhampton for Alan Gow and that’s the only contact we have had from anybody so far.”

Kinnear’s top target remains Sheffield United rightback Kyle Naughton but with Nicky Butt facing a one-game ban after his fifth booking of the season on Saturday, the need for central midfield reinforcements is clear.

“That central midfield position is where we can least afford to pick up injuries or bans but we just have to get on,” said Hughton.

“There will be inquiries made regarding players but how quickly that will happen or whether they will happen we don’t know at this moment.

One thing we have said for some time are there are areas where we have to strengthen and we will look to do that as quickly as we can.”