A MAJOR cash injection has given Celtic the perfect platform to launch their big push to land Newcastle United striker Craig Bellamy and leave Aston Villa frustrated.

The Villans remain adamant, despite the Magpies' denial, that a double deal has been agreed for Bellamy and Aaron Hughes.

Hughes is thought to be travelling to the Midlands soon in an attempt to negotiate with Villa over personal terms with a view to undergoing a medical.

But, while Hughes has accepted he may have to leave St James' Park after being shocked at becoming available for transfer on Tyneside, it is Bellamy's situation that is threatening to rock the double swoop worth around £7m.

After a successful loan spell at Celtic, the Scottish Premier League giants have first option on the striker and are preparing to pull out all the stops to make sure he comes on board permanently.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks has been the finance of any deal to take Bellamy north of the border, with debts of around £17m at Celtic Park in urgent need of being addressed.

However, the Bhoys are on the verge of receiving a £15m share issue that would strengthen, although not secure, attempts to sign the 25-year-old full-time.

Manager Martin O'Neill will not be given all of the expected cash injection into the club as they are in the midst of preparing to move to a new training Academy.

But, after O'Neill told the board he wants the forward to be at the club next season, Celtic will be doing as much as they can to make the boss's wish come true.

Bellamy has insisted he will not be making any decision on his future until after the Scottish Cup Final against Dundee United next weekend.

Ideally the controversial Welshman would like to return to the English Premiership, where he made a name for himself under Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle.

But a move to Aston Villa would not be high on his wish list, although there appear to be few other takers at the moment.

Birmingham, who Bellamy rejected in January, have pulled out of the race on this occasion and are thought to have turned their attention to Crystal Palace's former Blues striker Andy Johnson.

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes, who managed the player at international level, remains interested but Bellamy's dream of playing in the Champions League looks like coming true only if he remains at Celtic.

Villa, though, are determined to do everything possible to capture his services.

Manager David O'Leary has been given the go-ahead to spend big money this summer and, while Bellamy's reported £45,000-a-week wages don't fall into the club's structure, they are willing to go some way towards matching his terms at St James'.

There remains a theory that the deal with Villa is a stepping stone to paving the way for Gareth Barry, a long-term target of Souness, to move to the North-East.

Barry is seen as a solution to both Souness' left-back and left-midfield problems, with Celestine Babayaro continually struggling with injury and Laurent Robert set for pastures new.

But the occasional England international, with three years to run on his deal, would not come cheap and a starting bid of at least £5m would need to come from chairman Freddy Shepherd.

Meanwhile, Darren Ambrose has reiterated a desire to remain at Newcastle next season by declaring a determination to play in Europe again with the club.

With so many players expected to be offloaded by Souness during the close-season, Ambrose has been linked with a return to former club Ipswich as well as Portsmouth.

But, knowing six Intertoto Cup fixtures will have to be contested to book a place in the UEFA Cup, he said: "It's very important for this club to be playing in Europe.

"Newcastle United is a club which needs European football and it would be unusual for us not to be in the UEFA Cup at the very least.

"We know what people have said about the Intertoto Cup but I can assure the fans that we will be treating the competition very seriously indeed.

"We will be going all out to get the victories we need to get back into the UEFA Cup next year. As a club we have to do that.

"As players, we have to accept that we might have a shorter summer and that we will be playing again very early.

"We just have to work around it, and if we take it seriously, we should have no problems."