CASH-strapped Newcastle boss Bobby Robson has been priced out of a probable summer auction for Liverpool's £15m-rated striker Robbie Fowler.

Robson is a huge fan of Anfield's vice-captain, who could move on despite his starring role in Wednesday's sensational UEFA Cup final triumph over Alaves.

Fowler scored a stunning goal in the 5-4 golden-goal drama in Dortmund after coming off the bench to replace Emile Heskey.

Michael Owen and Heskey are manager Gerard Houllier's preferred strike pair and Scouser Fowler is unhappy that he is no longer an automatic choice.

Middlesbrough, along with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and possibly Manchester United, will be in the hunt for Fowler if he is made available.

But Newcastle, who spent £120m net in seven-and-a-half years under Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit, can't compete.

Robson has repeated that he is likely to have a limited transfer budget. His targets include £4m Vitesse Arnhem striker Victor Sikora, and he could rival promoted Blackburn for versatile Geordie old boy Robbie Elliott, whose contract at Bolton is up this summer.

Elliott, who left Newcastle under Dalglish, has always had his heart set on a return to Tyneside.

The only way Robson could raise major transfer funds would be to cash in on Kieron Dyer, who is expected to be the target of a £20m close-season bid from Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, Robson insists he won't sacrifice Dyer, and the Magpies' manager stressed: "Leeds have spent £30m on two players and Manchester United spent £19m on one player.

"But I can't do that. There are players I would love to buy but I haven't got the sort of money that people think is around the place.

"We are trying to buy sensibly and correctly, cleverly and skilfully, but there are only so many fish in the sea.

"It's a volatile market and nobody wants to sell their best players, just as I don't want to sell Kieron Dyer."

Meanwhile, midfielder Gary Speed is likely to open talks next week on a new contract at St James' Park.

Speed, who has one year left on his existing deal, has expressed doubts about his future.

But Newcastle insist they have simply been waiting until the end of the season before thrashing out a contract extension with the 31-year-old Wales skipper.

Speed's agent, Hayden Evans, is due on Tyneside next week for discussions with chairman Freddy Shepherd.

* Newcastle players admitted "total surprise" yesterday after being told they have a gambler's chance of backdoor entry into the UEFA Cup through the Fair Play League.

The Geordies, 11th in the Premiership, need to avoid three red cards in tomorrow's final game with Aston Villa to become England's representatives in the 12-country draw for two Euro places.

Defender Aaron Hughes confessed that none of the players had been aware of the possibility.

"We didn't even know it existed, but I suppose we'll all be behaving ourselves on Saturday," he said.

"Of course we'll happily accept a place if it comes our way. But we should be in the top six every season rather than looking to qualify through fair play."

Newcastle currently lie third in the Premiership Fair Play League behind Manchester United and Ipswich, who have already qualified for Europe.

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