Vieri and Smith snub Souness

Christian Vieri and Alan Smith became the latest players to give the Newcastle manager short shrift yesterday as he cast his net ever wider in search of goalscoring talent.

If his attempts to pinpoint a striker willing to move to Tyneside appear to be becoming ever more frantic, it is little surprise - at the moment, Alan Shearer is in line for nine 90-minute appearances before September has even begun.

The 34-year-old was expected to be eased towards his retirement this season.

Instead, with untried novice Michael Chopra the only other fit striker at Souness' disposal, the Newcastle skipper might have to lead the line himself.

Souness has received knock-back after knock-back this summer as he has looked to bolster a forward line that has been permanently shorn of Craig Bellamy - the volatile Welshman will not be offered a return to St James' no matter how bad things get - and temporarily deprived of the injured Shola Ameobi until the end of August at the earliest.

Michael Owen, a target who always looked more optimistic than realistic, rebuffed Newcastle's advances, while Robbie Keane, who remains on the Magpies' wanted list, has told friends he would prefer to stay at Tottenham rather than travel to Tyneside.

Things got no better yesterday when both Italian international Vieri and Manchester United frontman Smith turned down the opportunity of joining Newcastle.

Vieri, who became a free agent this week after leaving Inter Milan by mutual consent, is looking to resurrect his career in Spain after previously enjoying a successful stay at Atletico Madrid.

Smith is desperate to prove himself at Old Trafford despite suffering a stop-start campaign there last season and has been boosted by Sir Alex Ferguson's apparent readiness to dispense with the services of Luis Saha.

"We did inquire about Christian Vieri," confirmed Souness, who has sent chief scout, David Mills, to Turkey to report on tomorrow's Intertoto Cup second-round first-leg game between Ankaraspor and Dubnica. The winners will face Newcastle in round three.

"I got a mutual friend to have a word with the player but it appears he wants to go to Spain.

"We made an inquiry for Alan Smith also, but were told there is nothing doing."

Where Souness turns now is anybody's guess, although a formal approach for Andy Johnson is a definite possibility given the Scot's avowed admiration of the Crystal Palace striker.

Palace chairman Simon Jordan has already warned Tottenham not to pursue their interest in the England international, claiming he would not be leaving Selhurst Park this summer no matter how big a bid was tabled.

Johnson has revealed his desire to stay in the Premiership though, and Palace would find it difficult to turn down an offer of around £6m given the striker's clear reluctance to play at a lower level.

* Former Newcastle defensive coach Mark Lawrenson has insisted that ex-Liverpool team-mate Souness is the right man to lead the Magpies out of their current slump.

Lawrenson, who briefly worked at St James' Park under Kevin Keegan in the mid-1990s, has urged the club's fans to be patient and allow Souness to mould his own squad on Tyneside.

"I know the United supporters are divided over Graeme's appointment," said Lawrenson, who now works as a pundit on BBC's Match of the Day. "But I also know Graeme and I know he can get it right.

"He is the right manager for Newcastle because he is as passionate about football as the United fans are. They are a good bunch and I am very confident there will be cause for optimism at St James' Park next season."

Lawrenson is chairing a Match of the Day style discussion panel at next week's Toby Henderson Trust Sporting Dinner.

The dinner, which is in aid of autism development, takes place at the Gosforth Park Marriott Hotel on Friday, July 8, and also boasts snooker great Dennis Taylor as its guest speaker.

For further information, contact Launce Richardson on 01670 790347.