SAM Allardyce will step up his summer recruitment drive this week - but the new Newcastle United boss has been told to forget about targeting Portsmouth centre-half Sol Campbell.

Having released both Titus Bramble and Craig Moore since replacing Glenn Roeder, Allardyce's number one priority is to strengthen the heart of a Magpies defence that shipped 47 goals this season.

Campbell came closing to joining Newcastle last summer only to move to Fratton Park instead.

The former England international has recently started a relationship with a Tyneside-based woman, and therefore a permanent switch to the North-East would suit his new domestic arrangements.

Roeder is understood to have been lining up a swoop for the 32-year-old, and it had been expected that Allardyce, a manager with a proven ability to get the best out of veteran performers, would follow up his predecessor's interest.

But Portsmouth officials are adamant that Campbell, who has a year of his contract to run, will be going nowhere.

And sources on the south coast claim that Pompey boss Harry Redknapp has assured the centre-half he remains an integral part of his plans despite his intention to offer Bramble a Premiership lifeline.

Bramble is expected to undergo a medical at Fratton Park this week but, rather than replacing Campbell, Redknapp expects the defender to compete with Linvoy Primus to play alongside one of the Premiership's most experienced centre-halves.

That news will come as a blow to Allardyce, although the former Bolton boss is close to making a formal offer for Bolton's Tal Ben Haim.

He is stalling on Bolton's offer of a new contract and Newcastle would appeal to a player who has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years.

Ironically, Ben Haim's initial transfer to the Reebok Stadium was one of the deals that has seen Allardyce linked to the ongoing Quest investigation into potentially corrupt transfers.

Lord Stevens' investigative team had been expected to publish their final report into more than 200 transfers before the end of the month, but the Football Association's involvement in the recent West Ham points-docking saga has forced the timetable to move backwards.

Quest's final report is now not expected until at least next month, but Allardyce, who was the subject of unproven allegations made in last October's Panorama documentary, has protested his innocence.

"I'm totally convinced that Quest is finished as far as I am concerned," said the Magpies manager. "I hadn't done anything.

"I wasn't on the Panorama programme - I never appeared on it, I wasn't caught on camera, was never caught making any allegations or doing anything wrong.

"I've done everything Quest have asked, if not more. They've viewed everything they needed to view and had opportunities to see all of my stuff that couldn't be seen by the police without a court order. I volunteered all that and they cleared me - so that's it."

Newcastle will host Scottish Premier League champions Celtic in a pre-season friendly at St James' Park on Thursday, July 26 (ko 7.45pm).