GLENN Roeder will spend the rest of the summer monitoring Shaun Wright-Phillips' attempts to negotiate a move away from Chelsea.

But while the Newcastle manager eyes up a possible season-long loan deal that would take the unsettled midfielder from London, he is also bracing himself for a protracted battle to prevent Michael Owen moving to the capital.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has promised Theirry Henry he will sign a "world-class" striker to replace the departing Dennis Bergkamp, and Owen's name is on a shortlist of three potential targets.

Roeder is expected to meet chairman Freddy Shepherd in the next 48 hours to discuss his summer spending plans.

The Magpies manager will be promised substantial funds for a summer re-build but, with Alan Shearer having hung up his boots at the end of last season, a significant chunk of his resources will be earmarked for the striker that will inherit the former skipper's legendary No 9 shirt.

That will inevitably have repercussions elswhere, but Roeder remains committed to addressing the midfield imbalance that became apparent in the second half of last season.

While the likes of Scott Parker, Emre, Lee Bowyer, Kieron Dyer, Amdy Faye and Nicky Butt ensure plentiful cover in the central areas, Nolberto Solano and Charles N'Zogbia are the only genuine widemen in the current Magpies squad.

Both impressed as Newcastle rallied to finish seventh last season, but Solano continues to reserve his best performances for St James' Park while N'Zogbia's tender years restrict the amount of football he would ideally be asked to play.

Roeder has set his sights on signing a versatile winger who is equally comfortable on either flank and, despite being left out of Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad, Wright Phillips would appear to fit the bill.

The 24-year-old flier made just ten Premiership starts for Chelsea last season and, while Jose Mourinho has insisted he remains part of his plans, sources in London suggest he has instructed his agent to negotiate him a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Former club Manchester City have already expressed an interest in taking him back to the City of Manchester Stadium but, like the Magpies, they would struggle to match Chelsea's valuation of a player who cost £21m when he moved to the capital last July.

A season-long loan deal would seem the ideal solution, with Newcastle officials confident the allure of European football would trump the emotional appeal of a return to Manchester.

The opportunity to play alongside Owen would undoubtedly help further, but the England international is a wanted man despite missing the second half of last season with a foot injury.

His former club, Liverpool, remain keen observers of his situation, but it is Arsenal that appear closest to tabling a formal offer for his services.

After completing the signature of Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky, Wenger is hoping to add another striker to his squad before his club move to the Emirates Stadium at the start of next season.

Owen has done nothing to suggest he is considering leaving Tyneside just 12 months after moving from Real Madrid, but rumours of a get-out clause triggered by a bid of more than £12m continue to persist.

Much will depend on how the 26-year-old performs at this summer's World Cup, although Roeder will do all he can to prevent the departure of his side's most potent attacking threat.

The former West Ham boss has already moved to retain two players who provided valuable cover in the second half of last season.

Robbie Elliott has been offered a new one-year deal and the veteran full-back is expected to put pen to paper when he returns from a holiday in Dubai at the start of next month.

Lee Clark has also been offered a new contract, which is believed to combine continued playing duties with leadership of Newcastle's reserve team.

Despite arriving as a player-coach at the start of last season, the 33-year-old made 25 first-team appearances as the Magpies were hit by a succession of senior injuries.

But, while Roeder, who is desperate to retain a firm fans' favourite, is keen to retain Clark's registration as a player, he sees the veteran performing more of a coaching role next term.

That should appeal to the boyhood Newcastle fan, but a number of Championship clubs are hoping to persuade him to put off his coaching ambitions with the offer of a one-year playing deal.

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