Newcastle will pay £7m for Real Madrid star

Jul 27 2008 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

NEWCASTLE are prepared to pay £7 million for Real Madrid’s Brazilian star Julio Baptista.

But Madrid want closer to £12m for the former Arsenal loan star nicknamed “The Beast” — and knowing that Roma are also on Baptista’s trail, Madrid are banking on the Italians and United getting into a bidding war.

Newcastle have retrained their sights on Baptista, pictured right, after missing out on fellow attacking midfielders Pablo Aimar and Luka Modric.

But it remains to be seen whether they can agree a deal with Madrid or a wage package to tempt Baptista in their bid to make an eye-catching signing, not least to boost flagging season-ticket sales.

The 26-year-old performed reasonably well on loan at Arsenal in 2006/07 after snubbing them for Madrid when leaving Sevilla in 2005.

Meanwhile, Keegan will up his bid for Blackburn’s Stephen Warnock and is on the trail of Argentine defenders Fabricio Coloccini (at Deportivo La Coruna) and Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan), hoping to land two out of the three.