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Newcastle are ready to pip Portsmouth to Obafemi Martins by making Inter a £10m offer for the striker.
The Magpies are in desperate need of a forward to replace the injured Michael Owen and the now retired Alan Shearer.
After missing out on Feyenoord’s Dirk Kuyt, who is set to seal a Liverpool move following a medical, Martins has become their top priority.
Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder intends to close the deal as soon as possible seeing as his side open their Premiership account against Wigan on Saturday.
Martins could link up with a familiar face seeing as former Nerazzurri teammate Belozoglu Emre moved to England last summer.
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Hardly surprising if true.