SIR Bobby Robson last night claimed that Newcastle United had not become a selling club, despite admitting that the Magpies were powerless to prevent Jonathan Woodgate joining Real Madrid.

Woodgate put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Spanish giants yesterday to complete a week of whirlwind negotiations between the two clubs.

But Newcastle's fans, who are understandably concerned at the club selling a player chairman Freddy Shepherd said would leave over his own dead body, are still no nearer knowing why Woodgate was allowed to leave Tyneside yesterday.

With the deal about to go through on Thursday night, Shepherd claimed that monetary factors were not the driving force behind the club's decision to sell.

But, after speaking to Woodgate at length yesterday, Robson insisted that Newcastle could not turn down a £4.4m profit on a player who made less than 40 appearances during his 18 months on Tyneside.

"This is an extraordinary offer which we had to take," said Robson, who now has just ten days in which to sign a replacement before the transfer window closes on August 31.

"The offer's come in and the player's got wind of it. It was a huge offer for a centre-half and we made a good profit on him.

"It's a business deal and it's a huge deal for the club. If it wasn't, there's no way Jonathan Woodgate would be allowed to go.

"It had to be something extraordinary and it is. It's a one-off transfer and I have to assure the fans that it doesn't make us a selling club."

Woodgate's departure is the latest incident to rock Newcastle this week, with Robson admitting that he could have had an "unhappy player" on his hands had United blocked the defender's move to the Bernabeu.

The 24-year-old has been hampered by injuries since moving from Leeds United last January, but Robson is adamant that his woeful injury record played no part in the decision to sell.

And, despite the 24-year-old's well-publicised problems, the former England boss still regards him as the best centre-half in the country and is bitterly disappointed at having seen him leave Newcastle before the club ever really saw the best of him.

"If I was chairman of this club we would have been offering Jonathan Woodgate another contract on the one he's got," said Robson.

"But it's a one-off, individual transfer which came out of the blue. He's excelled for us and been a fantastic player - we're just sorry to see him go.

"It's got nothing to do with his injury record - you can't sell an injured player. Who's going to buy an injured player for £15m?

"Real Madrid have got a bevvy of medical opinion and they'll have gone through him with a toothcomb.

"He has a muscular injury, but it's not a broken leg or a cruciate or anything like that.

"It's a muscular injury that will get better in time. He can't play for a month, but in a month he will be 100 per cent fit."

Woodgate told the Spanish media yesterday that Real Madrid were the only club he would have left Newcastle for and, in a lengthy telephone conversation, the Middlesbrough-born defender asked Robson to keep the number six shirt free for a possible return.

"I don't blame Jonathan because he has gone to arguably the biggest club in the world," said Robson.

"If you were in his shoes what would you do? I don't think you would even think twice about it.

"I've spoken to Jonathan and he's sorry to leave us. He actually said 'Keep the number six shirt for me because I'll be back'. Nobody's pleased that he's gone because we know what we've lost."

Robson almost had a free number eight shirt on his hands as well earlier this week after Kieron Dyer was jeered from the stands during England's 3-0 win over the Ukraine.

The England international issued a public apology on Thursday after refusing to play on the right of midfield against Middlesbrough and, while Robson is set to keep him on the bench this afternoon, he is keen to draw a line under the entire episode.

"I've spent time with Kieron and he was ready to make this apology on Thursday," he said. "He is sorry and he is regretful of the incident.

"He wants to restore the relationship between the fans and himself, and the only way he can do that is to play.

"He's got to get out onto the pitch and show the fans that his loyalty and commitment to the club is 100 per cent, and he's keen to do that.

"Kieron will be wearing a black and white shirt and he'll be playing for Newcastle United. He belongs to this club and I think the fans will realise that and give him a fair chance."