Robbie Elliott has snubbed Blackburn to rejoin hometown club Newcastle on a four-year contract.

The versatile Geordie quit newly-promoted Bolton on a Bosman in order to return to the club he left in a £2.5m deal four years ago.

Elliott, 27, made his debut at St James' Park as a 17-year-old and admits he's thrilled to be back.

He could have stayed at Bolton or joined Blackburn but the lure of Tyneside proved too strong to resist for the former England Under 21 full-back.

Elliott will officially become a Newcastle player on July 1, the date his Bolton contract runs out.

But he'll be back at the Reebok Stadium on October 13, when Newcastle travel to face the Premiership new boys.

Elliott's arrival gives boss Bobby Robson the cover he wants at left back and means he will no longer pursue his interest in Everton's £6m-rated defender Michael Ball.

It will also please fans who didn't wanted the talented local boy to leave the club in the first place.

Elliott will now link up with Newcastle's new £6m signing Craig Bellamy in next month's Intertoto Cup.

Chairman Freddy Shepherd was yesterday finalising the details of the Bellamy deal with Coventry after the 22-year-old striker agreed personal terms and then took a week's holiday.

But Newcastle hopes of adding Boudewijn Zenden to the list of new arrivals took a blow with the news that Champions League big spenders Lyon have now joined Parma and Deportivo la Coruna in the chase for the £7m Barcelona winger.

However, Bellamy and Elliott are both left-sided and that reduces United's need for a left winger.

Newcastle's ambitious interest in Barcelona's Patrick Kluivert is also doomed to dissolve after the Dutch striker showed little intent in moving to the North-East.

However, Robson is still in the hunt for another striker to offset the club's worries over the long-term fitness of skipper Alan Shearer.

Newcastle are now preparing to sign attacking midfielder Paul Murray from QPR.

Murray, 24, is an England Under 21 international and available on a Bosman. He was with Newcastle coach Mick Wadsworth at Carlisle.

Bellamy meanwhile has revealed how Coventry manager Gordon Strachan tried to talk him out of a £6m move to Tyneside.

He said: "The boss was keen to keep me and advised me not to be persuaded by the financial rewards.

"But Newcastle are such a big club in so many ways that the opportunity was too good to resist."

Bellamy has agreed a four-year deal and added: "I've been told that Newcastle were watching me for a year and were just waiting for the right moment.

"There will certainly be competition for a spot in the starting line-up and that will bring the best out of me. It's the best thing that has happened to me in football."

l Emmanuel Petit risks facing a legal battle if be goes back on his word to Chelsea and opts to sign for Manchester United.

The Blues have signed the French midfielder on a pre-contract from Barcelona for £6m, and he will officially become a Chelsea player on July 1.

However, after Manchester United entered the race for Petit at the weekend, the 30-year-old would face legal action from Chelsea if he chose to move to Old Trafford at the last moment instead.