Tyne Tees Newcastle United News

Anzhi Makhachkala will have to come up with significantly more than 18 million euros if they are to have any chance of landing Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse.

Russian newspaper Izvestia has reported the cash-rich club from Dagestan, who saw the Senegal international at close hand as he dumped them out of the Europa League with an injury-time winner at St James' Park last season, are ready to offer the equivalent of £15.4million to secure his services.

In addition, they are said to be ready to pay the player around £50,000 a week in wages and hope the lure of another season of European football, something he will not get on Tyneside this time around, will prove attractive too.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is not averse to selling a player if the price is right, as it was with Andy Carroll in January 2011 when Liverpool offered a staggering £35m for the England international.

However, Press Association Sport understands Anzhi would have to find far in excess of £15.4m to make the Magpies even contemplate selling Cisse, who has four years remaining on his contract.

The club has received no bids for any of its players to date and their current concentration is on incomings rather than outgoings.

Indeed, manager Alan Pardew's main objective as he headed off on his summer break was to strengthen, rather than completely overhaul, his striking department with Cisse and Shola Ameobi his only recognised senior frontmen.

Goals were at a premium for the Magpies last season as they found themselves dragged into a fight for top-flight survival, and that is a situation the manager will seek to address as a matter of urgency during the closed season.

Cisse scored 13 times during the campaign, his first full season in the Barclays Premier League.

However, he spent the first half of it playing second fiddle to Demba Ba, and was then used for much of the rest as a lone striker following his compatriot's January departure for Chelsea.

Cisse announced himself in English football in style following his £9m arrival from German side Freiburg in January 2012, scoring 13 goals in his first 14 games, many of them spectacular strikes.

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Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew says his side owe their fans a performance when they host Arsenal in the the final day of the Premier League season today.

The Magpies were beaten 6-0 by Liverpool in their previous home game.

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Newcastle United's Davide Santon has been spared a driving ban for speeding after a court heard his girlfriend is due to give birth next week.

Accompanied by his heavily pregnant partner Chloe Sanderson the 22-year-old pleaded guilty to driving at 99mph in a 70mph zone on December 3 of last year.

The city's magistrates' court heard Santon had been 'anxious' to get to his home in Ponteland.

At Newcastle Magistrates' Court chairman of the bench John Phillips handed the Italian footballer five penalty points plus a fine costs of £325

He told the footballer: "You have got to calm your driving down."You have got to remember that you are a beacon for a lot of young male drivers in this country.

"They look up to you as a hero and you must be a good example to them."

Defence barrister Chris Mitford told the court that it 'had been the end of a very long day'.

"It is not a case where he was showing off, he was anxious to get home.

"If he had not been Italian he would have just got three penalty points and not be facing the possibility that you might disqualify him.

"A disqualification for him will be very difficult. His current circumstances are that his girlfriend is about to give birth,"

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Newcastle United's longest serving player Steve Harper is set to bid farewell to the club.

The 38-year-old has been with the Magpies for 20 years and on Sunday he will play his final match at St James' Park.

Harper has always been a popular figure and as Simon O'Rourke reports, he's had a distinguished and unusual career on Tyneside.

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Newcastle United have escaped relegation from the Premiership with a vital win against Queens Park Rangers.

They came from behind to win 1 - 2 in the capital.

RESULTS:

QPR 1 - 2 Newcastle United

Sunderland 1 - 1 Southampton

QPR took the lead through a goal from Loic Remy, a player who turned down Newcastle earlier in the season. Hatem Ben Arfa equalised with a penalty and Yoan Gouffran hit home the winner.

For Sunderland the uncertainty continues though as they could only draw with Southampton one all. Phil Bardsley got Sunderland's goal.

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