Duff could return to Blackburn as makeweight

SOCCER:DAMIEN DUFF'S security at Newcastle United is under renewed scrutiny after it appears Duff was included in negotiations aimed at Newcastle acquiring Stephen Warnock from Blackburn Rovers. It is not known if a straight swap deal was proposed but Duff's name has been mentioned.

Newcastle, keen to find left-sided defensive cover for Jose Enrique, offered €2.5 million a fortnight ago for Warnock and upped that by approximately €1 million last week. On both occasions the bid was rejected by Blackburn, with new manager Paul Ince under pressure not to disrupt too much the over-achieving team assembled by Mark Hughes.

However, it is understood that Ince was intrigued by the possibility of taking Duff back to Ewood Park, where the 29-year-old Irishman first moved from Dublin as a teenager. Duff retains his prestige in Lancashire having refused to leave the club when they were relegated under Brian Kidd in 1999.

It was another four years before Duff finally left, when he became Chelsea's then record signing at £17 million. Roman Abramovich and Claudio Ranieri were responsible then but a combination of injury, Arjen Robben and Jose Mourinho meant that Duff joined Newcastle after three seasons at Stamford Bridge.

But Duff's time on Tyneside has again been marked by injury and a struggle to replicate the form that made him such an exciting teenage winger. Duff signed a five-year contract when he joined Newcastle for €6.3 million two summers ago but the scale of his salary at a club trying to cut lumps off their wage bill has led to steady speculation that he is one of the more senior Newcastle players whom manager Kevin Keegan would be prepared to see leave to fund recruitment.

It was only nine days ago that Keegan, in the wake of Duff's hat-trick in a pre-season friendly at Hartlepool, started raving about his winger. This after Keegan had frequently overlooked Duff on the season's run-in. Keegan said Duff looked and felt like a teenager again.

Duff, always reticent when it comes to speaking publicly, said nothing and it is not known how he would view a return to Blackburn: either as an escape or as a backwards step. With three years remaining in his contract there would be financial hurdles to overcome a move were to transpire.

It is an indication of the sort of wheeling and dealing Newcastle are involved in. Owner Mike Ashley is apparently unwilling to underwrite a spending spree by Keegan, who has made two signings so far this summer.

One of those, however, Jonas Gutierrez, was again unable to participate in Saturday's pre-season friendly at Doncaster Rovers - Gutierrez missed Hartlepool too - due a problem with his registration. Duff did play; Newcastle lost 1-0.

Yet yesterday Keegan was prepared to say that a "top eight" finish was Newcastle's target for the coming season.

That would require a 14-point improvement and until new faces arrive at St James' Park locals will take some convincing that that is realistic.

"Between four and eight," Keegan said of where Newcastle could finish. "If you look at it purely from the crowds point of view, we are the third biggest stadium in the country. If you look at how strong our fan-base is in the north-east, we should be able to make it a fortress, a difficult place to come and get points. Top eight would be fantastic and to progress from there - between four and eight would be fantastic."

Keegan added that he personally will welcome back Joey Barton once the disgraced midfielder emerges from prison, though he knows others view Barton differently.

Keegan also said that he expects the issue of Michael Owen's new contract to be resolved soon, but Keegan has been making similar remarks since April and Owen is not minded to take the pay cut that the club wishes to offer him.