ANGRY Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has rejected suggestions the club's interest in Michael Owen is primarily aimed at helping season ticket sales.

After selling Aaron Hughes to Aston Villa and releasing Patrick Kluivert last week, Graeme Souness is poised to step up his pursuit of prospective signings over the next seven days.

Souness has confirmed his interest in Owen, and the England international's future was discussed when Shepherd met Real Madrid's sporting director Emilio Butragueno at last week's UEFA Cup final in Lisbon.

Butragueno has insisted that no firm decision will be made until the end of the Spanish season next weekend, but the La Liga giants are understood to be willing to sell the striker for around £15m.

Newcastle could raise that kind of money, but it is difficult to see why Owen would trade the buzz of the Bernabeu for an Intertoto Cup campaign on Tyneside.

Nevertheless, Shepherd has maintained that his club's pursuit of the 25-year-old is both genuine and realistic.

"I am the one guy who does not throw names around to boost ticket sales," said Shepherd. "That just does not come into the equation at Newcastle, not like it does elsewhere.

"We have got great supporters who are incredibly loyal and we have signed eight players within the last 12 months.

"I am not the type to lie back and think 'That's it - the momentum is lost'. We will be bringing players in. As a Geordie, I know what the supporters want and I will be doing everything to get it. The one thing Newcastle can never be accused of is not supporting their manager."

Shepherd is also expected to sanction more departures in the coming months. Jamie McClen and Stephen Brennan were released on Saturday, with Hughes and Kluivert having left Tyneside earlier in the week.

Hugo Viana's future was also discussed in Lisbon and, while Sporting continue to plead poverty in public, it is understood the Portuguese side are privately ready to push his purchase through.

Craig Bellamy will also be on his way out of St James' Park this summer, although Celtic continue to have first refusal over his services following his loan spell at Parkhead.

Aston Villa boss David O'Leary is keen to discuss personal terms with the Wales international after lodging a £6m bid with Newcastle last week, but those talks will have to wait for at least five more days as Celtic face Dundee United in the Scottish Cup final next weekend.

Nicky Butt is another player edging towards the exit door, with Bolton boss Sam Allardyce showing interest in the former Manchester United midfielder.

"There will be certain players leaving the club," confirmed Shepherd. "The ones who haven't put the effort in. It's been very frustrating and disappointing.

"It has taken Graeme a season to deal with the problems he inherited. There were specific problems in the dressing room, but those will be sorted out once and for all this summer."

Shepherd expressed particular disappointment at Kluivert's efforts last season, stressing that he could not justify keeping the Dutchman at the club.

"There is no one more disappointed than me that it didn't work out with Kluivert," he said. "Everyone at the time said that signing him was a good move.

"At 28, he should have been at his peak, just like Alan Shearer was the man at that age. We saw Patrick as the man to follow Alan. But his injury record was poor. He had to go."

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