FIRST, the good news. Newcastle United have finally signed up a striker. Now, the bad news. He was already on their books.

Shola Ameobi penned a two-year extension to his existing deal yesterday that will keep him at St James' Park until 2014, and after first joining the Magpies more than a decade-and-a-half ago, the 29-year-old now looks like ending his career with his hometown club.

Such longevity is not to be sniffed at, and for all that Ameobi continues to divide opinion amongst supporters and critics alike, his 70 senior goals are enough to secure a top-20 position in Newcastle's all-time goalscoring list.

"We are delighted to have confirmed Shola's new contract," said Magpies manager Alan Pardew. "He has done a terrific job for me since I've been at the club and is also a great character to have around the place. It is important to have continuity, and keeping Shola on board helps us achieve that aim."

Ameobi has made more than 300 appearances for Newcastle, and his contract extension represents some much-needed stability in a summer that has been characterised by strife.

Nevertheless, with the new Premier League season due to kick off in two days time, there must be a fear that, the way things are going, the striker might yet have to play up front by himself.

Demba Ba has arrived from West Ham to compete for a starting spot in Saturday's home game with Arsenal, but apart from the Frenchman, Pardew's attempts to reinforce his attacking ranks appear to be running into a series of brick walls.

Kevin Gameiro? Joined Paris St Germain. Mevlut Erdinc? Refused to leave Paris St Germain. Shane Long? Yesterday completed a £6.5m move from Reading to West Brom.

Pardew has held a series of meetings with managing director Derek Llambias this week in which he has stressed the need to recruit a proven goalscorer as quickly as possible.

There have been tentative discussions about the likes of Roman Pavlyuchenko and Nicklas Bendtner, but Newcastle appear no nearer to solving their attacking dilemma than they were when they agreed to sell Andy Carroll to Liverpool in January.

Pardew remains confident he will sign a striker before the transfer window closes, but there is now little chance of a new forward being involved in the opening game of the campaign.

"Within the squad at the minute there's one place available for a striker, and that search is ongoing until such time as we get the right player in," said the Newcastle boss.

"I'd be surprised if it goes down to the wire. It might do, but I will be surprised.

"We still need another striker and we're still pursuing that, and if we lose a player we're also going to replace him."

That final quote relates to Jose Enrique, with the Spaniard expected to complete his protracted move to Liverpool shortly after the two parties made a significant breakthrough in negotiations yesterday evening.

Newcastle officials are expected to give Enrique permission to travel to Merseyside to talk terms within the next 24 hours, and the full-back could be confirmed as a Liverpool player before the weekend.

That increases the need for a new defender, and PSV Eindhoven's Erik Pieters remains Newcastle's preferred choice of replacement.

Enrique might not be the only United player leaving Tyneside this month, with Nile Ranger and Leon Best still effectively available to the highest bidder.

Alan Smith has also been deemed surplus to requirements, but Leeds chairman Ken Bates claims the midfielder's proposed return to Elland Road was scuppered by Newcastle's payment demands.

"We were interested in Alan Smith," said Bates. "Alan Smith was prepared to consider coming to us. But he was on £3m-a-year and Newcastle wanted a £1m-a-year contribution.

"As I have said before, £1m plus government tax equals £1.15m. We cannot afford it, it is as simple as that. The result is, of course, that Newcastle have a player they don't particularly want."

* Newcastle's home game with Fulham has been put back 24 hours to Sunday, August 28 (ko 1pm) because of the Cottagers' Europa League commitments.