ANDY COLE is set to ask Manchester United for permission to talk to Newcastle following Bobby Robson's shock £10m approach to take the former Tyneside idol back to St. James' Park.

Newcastle boss Robson will switch his sights to Liverpool's Robbie Fowler if he fails with his daring move for Cole.

But with Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon last night hinting that his club are prepared to do business, an unhappy Cole is ready to seize the initiative.

The Magpies have reacted to the long-term loss of £7m striker Carl Cort, who faces up to four months out with a knee injury, by making Cole their No 1 target.

Robson has already enquired about Cole's England rival Fowler, whose future at Anfield remains uncertain even though he has patched up his differences with assistant manager Phil Thompson.

Liverpool's vice-captain was forced to apologise to Thompson following their much-publicised training ground bust-up, but Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Leeds are among those keeping tabs on developments.

Robson's priority, however, is his pursuit of Cole, whose departure from Newcastle six-and-a-half years ago provoked uproar. Former boss Kevin Keegan was memorably besieged by disbelieving fans on the steps of St. James' when he sold goal king Cole in a sensational £7m deal.

But the prospect of the prodigal returning moved closer as Robson stunned Old Trafford with his move for the 29-year-old striker, who has lost his starting place since the £19.5m arrival of Dutch star Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Newcastle refused to comment yesterday, but Kenyon, while insisting "no formal offer'' for Cole had been made, said: "There is always a balance between the number of players we have and what we are expected to do (as a plc).

"But we have added to the quality of the squad over the summer.''

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who smashed the British transfer record with the £28.1m signing of Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron from Lazio, was met with a firm rebuff from Newcastle last season when he made a £15m approach for £20m-rated Kieron Dyer.

All the signs are the Magpies would resist any attempt by Sir Alex to use Cole as a makeweight in a renewed effort to capture Dyer.

But a straight cash deal for Cole could be in the offing. Tottenham are also believed to have been alerted, though manager Glenn Hoddle was a fierce critic of Cole when he was England boss.

Cole scored a phenomenal 68 goals in 84 games in under two years with Newcastle after Keegan plucked him from the obscurity of Bristol City in a £1.75m deal in March 1993.

But he has endured a hostile reception each time he has returned to Tyneside, and further soured his relationship with the Geordie public two years ago when he launched a scathing "golden boy'' attack on Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer.

In his autobiography, Cole complained bitterly about what he saw as the preferential treatment Shearer received at international level from then-England boss Keegan.

Cole wrote: "You are supposed to play your best 11, not shape every possible strategy around the supposed golden boy. If you're having a bad patch, you should be left out.

"But because he was Alan Shearer, famous striker and England captain, that appeared to be enough.''

Cole also labelled Shearer as "untouchable'' and "England's chosen son,'' words that prompted a stinging rebuke from Robson, who at the time had been in charge of Newcastle for only two months.

Robson said: "I treat what Andy Cole said with disdain, as it should be treated. He should stick to playing football and driving his Ferrari.''

But now, with Cort sidelined and doubts over Shearer's future following make-or-break knee surgery, Robson wants Cole to motor back to Tyneside and once again bring goals to Newcastle.

*Paris St. Germain centre-back Sylvain Distin is at the centre of a £3.5m tug-of-war between Newcastle and Bolton

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