Newcastle boss issues Beckford warning

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has threatened to walk away from a proposed deal to sign Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford if the current impasse between the two clubs is not broken quickly.

Despite beginning their pursuit of the in-form striker before Christmas, Newcastle officials have been unable to agree a deal with their counterparts at Elland Road.

As a result, Beckford remains a Leeds player, and with Magpies owner Mike Ashley extremely reluctant to increase the 1.5m bid that was rejected at the end of last week, a compromise agreement currently appears as distant as ever.

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Hughton is known to have monitored alternative strikers in the first half of the season, and is prepared to draw a line under his pursuit of Beckford rather than end the month without an attacking acquisition.

"There comes a time when we will have to look elsewhere," said the Newcastle boss. "We'd prefer to do our business early and there comes a stage where, if you have a specific target in mind, you have to move on to other targets (if nothing is happening). We have our targets, but situations can change over a period of time. We have to work around that."

For more on this story read Wednesday's Yorkshire Post.