GLENN Roeder will complete the capture of Real Madrid midfielder Thomas Gravesen at the start of next week, and the Newcastle manager is hoping to persuade Inter Milan striker Obafemi Martins to join the Denmark international at St James' Park.

Martins will hold talks with Inter president Massimo Moratti this weekend after the Serie A giants completed the £16.5m capture of Zlatan Ibrahimovich from Juventus.

Ibrahimovich will play alongside fellow summer signing Hernan Crespo next season, leaving Martins out in the cold despite a string of impressive displays at the San Siro since arriving from Reggiana in 2002.

The 21-year-old, who handed in a transfer request last week, will outline his desperation to leave his current employers this weekend, sparking a continent-wide chase for his signature.

Spanish side Valencia have already expressed an interest in the Nigeria international, who will command a transfer fee of around £8.5m, while Portsmouth and Manchester United have also been extensively linked with him in the past.

But with Newcastle's opening Premiership game just seven days away, Roeder will do everything he can to persuade Martins to move to Tyneside this week.

With long-term transfer target Dirk Kuyt expected to join Liverpool, the African has rapidly emerged as the leading candidate to replace the recently-retired Alan Shearer.

"It is not going to be easy to get a player of Martins' quality to Newcastle," said the Magpies manager, who is also expected to make a formal offer for Wayne Bridge if Chelsea complete the capture of Ashley Cole from Arsenal. "But I like him and I don't mind saying that.

"I think it's fair for me to be able to say that. He is a player I admire and we are looking at the situation at Inter Milan very closely. We haven't any information to give out public yet about that player or any other player that we may be potentially close to signing.

"But we are close to signing two or three players and that could happen over the next seven to ten days."

Gravesen's transfer should be completed even sooner than that, with the former Everton midfielder expected to arrive on Tyneside for a medical at the start of next week.

Sources in Denmark have revealed that the 30-year-old is already telling close friends that he has agreed to sign for the Magpies, and talks over personal terms are understood to be at an advanced stage.

Everton and Celtic also made enquiries, but the tough-tackling midfielder decided on a move to Newcastle as soon as Roeder confirmed his interest.

Gravesen's arrival has been hastened by Amdy Faye's £1.5m move to Charlton.