NEWCASTLE are ready to launch a £7m bid to sign Middlesbrough defender Jonathan Woodgate for a second time.

And while Boro boss Gareth Southgate is loath to lose the England international after brokering his permanent transfer from Real Madrid last summer, Middlesbrough officials are ready to enter into transfer negotiations if the Magpies are willing to meet their demands.

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has identified the purchase of a tried-and-tested centre-half as his number one objective during the current transfer window.

He has sounded out the possibility of luring Sol Campbell from Portsmouth, only to be told there is little chance of the former Arsenal defender leaving Fratton Park this month.

That forced him to turn to Woodgate, and an initial exploration has suggested that an agreement could be reached despite Middlesbrough's understandable reluctance to part company with one of their leading centre-halves.

Keegan handed Woodgate his full international debut in 1999 and is known to be a long-time admirer of the Teesside-born defender.

Woodgate's £7m transfer from Real Madrid was hailed as a major coup when it was confirmed last spring, but neither the defender nor his Middlesbrough employers have been particularly happy with the subsequent nine months.

Woodgate is understood to have grown increasingly disillusioned with life at the Riverside, despite being made captain of his hometown club at the end of last season.

And while Middlesbrough officials are aware of the 27-year-old's standing among the club's support, there is a growing acceptance that a parting of the ways could be best for all concerned.

Woodgate has missed Boro's last three matches and, on Saturday, was omitted from the starting line-up at Blackburn despite Southgate's admission that he was fit and available.

David Wheater's emergence has bolstered a centre-half roster that already includes Robert Huth, Emanuel Pogatetz and Chris Riggott, and the youngster's rapid development has already seen him leap ahead of Woodgate in the Riverside pecking order.

Tottenham have made contact with the Middlesbrough hierarchy to confirm their interest in securing Woodgate's services, but after returning to the North-East in August 2006, the former Leeds centre-half is keen to remain in the region.

A move to Newcastle offers that opportunity, and Woodgate boasts experience of life on Tyneside having made 37 appearances for the Magpies during a 19-month spell at St James' Park between 2003-04.

With Obafemi Martins at the African Cup of Nations and Mark Viduka having suffered yet another injury setback, Keegan is also hoping to sign a striker this month, and Lazio forward Goran Pandev last night claimed the Magpies had opened formal transfer discussions with his Italian employers.

Pandev, 24, a Macedonia international who has scored eight goals in 16 Serie A appearances this season, has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Stadio Olimpico after Lazio agreed a loan deal with Manchester City forward Rolando Bianchi.

David Beckham's mooted move to Tyneside, however, is not on the agenda. The England international had been linked with a sensational switch to St James' Park, but LA Galaxy president Alexei Lalas has insisted he will not be leaving his American employers.

"There is absolutely no truth in the speculation linking David with a move to Newcastle United," said Lalas.

Derek Fazackerley last night denied he had been offered a job in Keegan's new backroom set-up at St James' Park.