GRAEME Souness was forced back to the drawing board yet again last night after prospective moves for both Michael Owen and Mark Viduka hit the buffers.

The Newcastle boss had been hoping to make formal approaches to both Real Madrid and Middlesbrough in the next 24 hours but, instead, will redouble his efforts to sign another two long-term targets, Nicolas Anelka and Luis Boa Morte.

Souness spoke of his admiration for Owen yesterday afternoon but, just hours after the Scot bemoaned his lack of firepower ahead of this evening's Intertoto Cup semi-final second leg with Deportivo La Coruna, the former Liverpool striker's representatives arrived at Old Trafford to discuss his future with Manchester United chief executive David Gill.

At the same time, Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson broke his silence to underline his renewed determination to keep Viduka at the Riverside.

"We are building a team at Middlesbrough in the hope of producing the best season in the club's history," said Gibson. "To lose Mark Viduka would seriously weaken us and we are not prepared to do that."

The result is that, with time rapidly running out, two more players on Souness' shopping list look extremely unlikely to sign at St James' this summer.

"We are obviously in need of firepower," admitted Souness, who is at least able to welcome fit-again forward Shola Ameobi back into his squad for this evening's game. "A 20-goal-a-season striker is the type of player we need to be attracting to this club.

"We need four more new players and ideally we would have had them in by now, but certainly we need to do it sooner rather than later."

Two of those new players could still be Anelka and Boa Morte, despite chairman Freddy Shepherd's recent insistence he would not improve the offers currently on the table at Fenerbahce and Fulham.

The United chief is understood to have held further talks over Boa Morte's future last night, following Fulham's return from their pre-season tour of the United States.

The Portugal international is known to be keen on a move to the North-East and Cottagers boss Chris Coleman is ready to end the ongoing saga in order to prevent it overshadowing his side's start to the season.

Similarly, Anelka's intransigent stance is making it increasingly difficult for his employers, Fenerbahce, to ward off Newcastle's advances.

"We do need to get in some new players because we are short of a cutting edge," added Souness. "We all know that and we are working hard to make sure that happens.

"The type of players we need to make us better are established players, big players at other clubs."

The Newcastle boss has never disguised his dislike for the Intertoto Cup and admitted the competition has upset his pre-season preparations.

Several squad players are well short of match fitness because of United's involvement in the tournament and their desire to play their strongest available XI. With the Premiership opener only 11 days away Souness is afraid some of his players will be playing catch up when the season begins.

"Ideally what you would like to do is share the workload around a squad of players," added Souness, who hopes to see his side overturn a 2-1 deficit tonight and go on to meet either Lazio or Marseilles in the final.

"But when you play against teams like Deportivo you have to play what you regard is your strongest XI. We have to go down that route tonight and have one eye on the Arsenal game."

Scott Parker and Emre will play some part this evening but Souness revealed he has a dilemma ahead of the tie.

"If I was to start with Parker and Emre," he said, "do I leave them on for more than an hour if they're going well? Then I risk some muscle fatigue and that is the dilemma you leave yourself with.

"They will definitely play. I think Scott is wee bit behind Emre (in terms of fitness). I think it is five months since Scott last played a competitive game so he has some way to go.

"We should not be in a rush to judge them because this is their first game this year. But I think the supporters will get excited about the new players and I think they will enjoy watching them in their time at the club."

Jermaine Jenas is a doubt with a back problem and a decision will be made on whether he joins the squad this morning.

Kieron Dyer won't be risked with his hamstring problems but Souness believes the midfielder should be fit for the season's curtain riser against Arsenal.

Should Newcastle go out of the competition tonight the club will try and arrange a friendly in Italy on Tuesday in a bid to top up on match fitness.

Meanwhile, former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark has rejoined the club on a one-month rolling contract. Clark, who will be 33 in October, will assist Tommy Craig with reserve team duties but has also registered as a player and is available for first team selection.

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