WEST HAM United will complete the £7m capture of Newcastle midfielder Scott Parker at the start of next week - and the Hammers are hoping to scupper the Magpies' midfield plans further by pairing the England international with United target Joey Barton.
Newcastle officials have accepted the Hammers' offer of an undisclosed fee - around the £7m mark - for Parker, their club's erstwhile captain.
But Alan Curbishley's midfield strengthening is not expected to stop there, and sources in London last night suggested that the West Ham boss is now turning his attention to Barton.
The out-of-favour midfielder will leave Manchester City this summer following a training ground bust-up with team-mate Ousmane Dabo in the latter stages of last season.
Sam Allardyce is hoping to make Barton one of his first signings since replacing Glenn Roeder last month, and the Magpies manager is expected to table a £5.5m offer once Parker's Upton Park switch is completed at the start of next week.
Curbishley's interest could complicate matters, however, with the West Ham boss ready to trump Newcastle's contract offer to the volatile 24-year-old as he attempts to rebuild his midfield in light of the anticipated departure of both Nigel Reo-Coker, who is on the verge of joining Aston Villa, and Hayden Mullins.
Bankrolled by new owner Eggert Magnusson's millions, Curbishley has offered Parker more than £70,000-a-week to return to his native London and, with Newcastle's financial future still up in the air, Allardyce would struggle to match a similar offer if it was made to Barton's representatives next week.
Parker should be a West Ham player by then, with the former Charlton and Chelsea midfielder due to finalise personal terms when he returns from a family holiday in Portugal in the early hours of this morning.
A medical is understood to have been scheduled for Monday morning and, provided there are no unexpected hiccups related to the hernia problem that forced him to miss five of the last six games of last season, the England international should be unveiled as a West Ham player by Tuesday or Wednesday.
"We've not yet spoken to the player," said West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury.
"But I will be speaking to the agent (over the weekend). In the meantime, nothing will happen until early next week."
Meanwhile, Newcastle are poised to make a move for Paris St Germain centre-half David Rozehnal.
Allardyce tried to sign the 26-year-old Czech Republic international for Bolton in January and, despite competition from German side Borussia Dortmund, the Magpies manager is ready to make a renewed approach.
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