TOTTENHAM are ready to test troubled Newcastle United's resolve by making a renewed £8m bid for unsettled midfielder Jermaine Jenas this week.
Having already tried to tempt Newcastle earlier this summer with a £6m offer for the 22-year-old, Spurs remain keen on adding him to their playing staff before the closure of the transfer window a week tomorrow.
United would ideally prefer to retain the services of one of the country's most promising midfield talents.
However Jenas' discontent with life on Tyneside - where he feels he is living inside a goldfish bowl - could force Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd's hand to sell.
And the cash raised by the sale of the England international would be used to fund last minute raids in a department of the field where the Magpies are desperate - up front.
Newcastle travel to Bolton tomorrow having failed to score in either of their first two matches of the campaign against Arsenal and newly-promoted West Ham.
Deportivo La Coruna's Albert Luque should become the first new forward to arrive at St James' Park before the end of the week, providing the two clubs can reach a compromise over the fee.
Deportivo are angry with Newcastle for agreeing terms with the player before negotiating a price but accept that Luque could be on his way to the North-East.
It is a transfer that is likely to see Hugo Viana - who travelled with the reserves to face Liverpool last night - move in the opposite direction as part of a near £10m deal.
And Deportivo president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro said: "If Newcastle had offered that amount of money we would not have anything to talk about and he would have already gone.
"The difference in valuation of the player between the two clubs is £1.4m. Newcastle have offered £7.5m plus Hugo Viana, but at the moment there is a difference in our valuations of him."
The capture of Luque will leave Newcastle, who have already paid out £10.3m on Emre and Scott Parker this summer, short of money to play with in terms of adding a second new forward to the ranks.
That is why a switch to White Hart Lane for Jenas would strengthen Newcastle's arm in their search for a 20-goals a season striker.
Manager Graeme Souness - who tries to dismiss talk of him being under-fire after his side's poor start to the campaign - does not see Luque as such.
Souness is keen to add the Spaniard and one other to his forward options to compete with 35-year-old Alan Shearer.
Newcastle's approach for Michael Owen was headline-grabbing but never realistic, while no agreement has been reached with Fenerbahce for Nicolas Anelka.
But time is running out for Souness and Shepherd if they are to land their men and the likelihood of more than one new face arriving before next Wednesday is weakening by the day.
Souness hopes to have a deal in place for Luque completed in time for him to face Manchester United on Sunday.
And he could be joined in the squad that afternoon by Kieron Dyer and Emre, who may return after missing tomorrow night's trip to the Reebok Stadium through injury.
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