NICKY BUTT could be offered an escape route from his Newcastle United hell by Wigan, and that means Lee Bowyer's surprising wish to stay at St James' Park will be granted.

It has been widely expected Bowyer would be one of those to depart from Tyneside this summer after attempts to offload him in January failed.

Now, however, with West Ham waiting in the wings, the whole-hearted midfielder is understood to have had a change of thought and is keen to see out the remaining year of his contract with the Magpies.

And the 29-year-old could find his hopes of staying are helped by the prospect of Butt moving back to the North-West.

The former Manchester United middle man has failed to make an impact at Newcastle since his £2.5m switch from Old Trafford almost two years ago.

He spent last season on loan at Birmingham City but relegation meant an agreement for a permanent transfer has broken down.

Now, despite the installation of Glenn Roeder, Newcastle are still pressing ahead with their attempts to erase his expensive wages from their bill.

Wigan, who offer Butt the opportunity to return to his native Manchester, would not be willing to match the former England man's wages but they hope to be able to reach an agreement with the player.

The place of the 31-year-old's employment next season will be under much deliberation this summer, in what is promising to be a busy period for Newcastle.

As well as Roeder being interested in Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe, it has been claimed he is also in the hunt to replace Alan Shearer with Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Van Nistelrooy is available for around £12m from Manchester United, so Roeder knows he will also have to sell to help fund any deal.

He will not be raising the cash by off-loading Michael Owen, though. Owen has been offered the No 9 shirt in light of Shearer's retirement.

Roeder has also been credited with an interest in West Brom defender Curtis Davies, who could be available if the price is right following the Baggies' relegation to the Championship.

Defence is an area where the Newcastle boss realises improvements have to be made and even the calamitous Jean-Alain Boumsong claims the men around him have had a detrimental affect on his game.

Boumsong, an £8m buy from Rangers, has failed to find any sort of consistency.

Despite his lack of form for Newcastle he was called up by France last week for the World Cup and is likely to be at the heart of the defence alongside Lilian Thuram.

But Boumsong faces the wrath of his team-mates when he returns after claiming Newcastle's defenders have made him a worse player.

"I earned my place through my performances on the international stage rather than at club level," said the Frenchman, normally fielded alongside Titus Bramble.

"If I had been playing alongside Lilian Thuram at club level, Newcastle fans would have seen a very different Jean-Alain Boumsong.

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