Ashley's people have suggested in the past he is in this for the long haul and fans woke up to screaming headlines that the club were ready to sell.

Reports say that the discussion between United and InterMedia, which took place via a third party, suggests that Mike Ashley quoted the said wannabe owners a fee of £420million.

Yet all of this has been dismissed by the club.

So all in all a storm in a tea cup.

And it was business at normal at the club's training ground where a handful of younger players have been getting on with their pre-season training before their senior counterparts arrive back on Tyneside next week.

Oh well, another average morning on Tyneside, front page headlines again, but we're not a big a club are we?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

But that's the procedure that fans can expect to see if he does the business when he pulls on a black and white shirt (or purple) from the start of next season and the net bulges.

Mind you by the look of the Argentina international Jonas Gutierrez's tally of five from his time in Spain, he has come to St James's to provide the bullets for Toon strikers more than anything else.

Well, according to a good source, it leaves him right here on Tyneside with Gutierrez's arrival to help increase competition for places - Milner, apparently is going nowhere.

He made 30 appearances for Real Mallorca last term as they finished seventh in La Liga and just missed out on Europe.

But after a quiet summer so far Kevin Keegan has finally landed his first proper signing since returning to the club.

It might not be the Thierry Henry style figure that would have blown the house down and it might not have made the front pages like Michael Owen or Alan Shearer.

But it's a start and as far as the Toon transfer richter scale goes, it's probably on par with David Ginola's arrival in 1995 - and we all know what happened then.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

After a dramatic day Toon fans woke up to the news that Barton had actually been sacked but this proved to be unfounded as the hours ticked by.

In fact it turns out Barton is still employed by United but ready to face crisis talks with Kevin Keegan and new managing director Derek Llambias.

But certainly with Newcastle already lacking in numbers and yet to make a confirmation on players to come in, Barton is probably a serious contender to start the season in the position he ended it in.

Newcastle manager KK had already warned Barton this was his last chance when he arrived at the club and the player has actually kept his nose clean from that time with all the other controversy over the summer coming from his past life at Man City or under Sam Allardyce.

A loan move to Bolton has been mentioned today but as yet the club refuse to make a further statement until the crisis meeting takes place.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

KK of course has gone Swiss before and was on hand to deliver right-back Marc Hottiger in 1994 with the defender proving to be a success at St James's Park.

And Hottiger gave Derdiyok the thumbs up in a Chronicle interview over the weekend with Newcastle reportedly closing in on their first summer buy.

Other players to prosper from Christian Gross's youth policy in Basle are Zdravko Kuzmanović, who has been a hit at Firoentina and Ivan Rakitić at Schalke while names such as Alexander Frei and Hakan Yakin have also grabbed attention on the world stage.

Should Keegan capture the tall striker it would certainly give him more options in attack to go alongside Oba Martins, Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and Andy Carroll.

Or is the move to replace one of his big hitters?

At 20 Derdiyok has time on his hands and at £6million he fits into KK's vision for the future.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

The now almost annual trip to Hartlepool will revive fond memories for Kevin Keegan with Victoria Park (or Victoria Ground as it was then) the scene of Peter Beardsley's second coming with the Toon in 1993.

KK then makes an emotional return to Doncaster for a game at the still sparkling Keepmoat Stadium for game two before the big boys enter the fray.

You're on a hiding to nothing when it comes to friendly games, look at last season an Alan Smith goal against Sampdoria and a 1-0 win didn't give us a true picture of what lay ahead.

But in 2006 when United were 3-0 down to PSV Eindhoven (before losing 3-2) and 3-1 down to Villarreal (drew 3-3), United's defensive woes suggested that a long winter lay ahead for Glenn Roeder and of course it did.

This time around fixtures with Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin and La Liga boys Real Mallorca will take place on the sunny party island before a testing affair with Valencia who should arrive with David Villa on board.

It's certainly a balanced fixture list but one that KK has carefully selected and one that will give both fringe players and key first team members a chance to show exactly what they can or can't do.

New faces may be on board by then for Newcastle but Toon fans will either be encouraged or for some they'll have further doubts just where the Magpies will finish the up and comin 2008/09 season.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Interest from Liverpool and Aston Villa (once again, are they obsessed?) looks set to be resisted for the winger and quite rightly so.

At the end of the day why would you sell one of your better players to two rival teams in the Premier League and at a time when United need as many quality performers as possible?

And in some ways perhaps the injury was somewhat of a blessing in disguise.

Don't forget Milner was heading for almost two years consecutive football after involvement last summer with the England Under-21s at the Euros in Holland and then an early check in in 2006 with Newcastle after returning on loan from Villa to prepare for Glenn Roeder's Intertoto Cup campaign with the Mags.

Now with his rehab well underway, Milner will return with a proper breather and not just the week or so off he's had in two years.

That should make for a fresh start for the Yorkshireman who at just 22 is still a future international star and one of the prize assets Newcastle should be looking to develop further and not be looking to cash in on.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Of course, it's a sight that no Toon fans will see and only staff at the club's Benton HQ will witness but the knowledge that KK is back will be a major thing for many United fans.

Basically, Newcastle fans regard one person and person only as the boss on Tyneside and that's Kevin Keegan, who has an impeccable record in the dugout at St James's Park and even in his second stint in charge demonstrated why he still has the magic.

And without sounding negative anything more than a defeat will be a massive bonus to build on as the new season gathers pace.

Realistically, the first round of judgements can't be properly made until the end of September by which time teams will have had enough time to stamp their authority on the new campaign.

Crazy decisions to axe Toon managers in August or September are hopefully a thing of the past because as anybody who was around when Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit or Sir Bobby were shown the door will know that the season is probably as good as over.

That's because the dreaded words of "transitional" and "period" come into play and they are words that nobody wants to hear, the truth is Newcastle have had more transitional periods than any other club since 1969 and fans are sick of them.

Now hopefully KK can start the work he's been so desperate to complete since leaving the club in 1997 which is a chapter in the club's history that everybody regrets.

Over to you King Kev.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

They are moments that you just always remember.

Where were you when we signed x, y or z?

For Newcastle fans there are so many to choose from whether it be Keegan, Beardsley (second time around) or Shearer.

Keegan's first coming was simply off the planet, while Peter Beardsley's arrival as Premier League football hit Tyneside really shook the foundations of St James's Park and Alan Shearer, well fans turned up in droves just to catch a mere glimpse of the £15million man wearing the black and white shirt after he'd turned down Man U for a second time.

For me personally, Les Ferdinand was one of those big, big names.

The moment still lives with me now in June 1995 when I was walking around the streets of Mallorca donning a Newcastle shirt and a Spaniard stopped me to say: "Well done you've signed Ferdinand."

That has to be a monumental moment for most fans.

And while at the moment it seems like we are destined to simply build on the squad we have, you just never know with the Magpies do you?

Mike Ashley pulled on the number 17 Smith shirt in the hope he'd pulled off a big one - but that didn't quite work out - so what will his party trick be this summer?

Without doubt people will mock the lack of trophies at Newcastle since 1969, but when it comes to big names, there is always something to get the blood pumping.

So stiffen the stiffen the nostrils, you never know what could be around the corner.

And while tension is in the air around Gallowgate even the Toon's tycoon knows what is needed in order to get the Toon jumping once again.

It might sound like a crazy idea but if you were to actually listen to the man himself in his two years on Tyneside so far, then it would be quite obvious that the only way Martins will leave St James's Park is if the Magpies allow it to happen.

On numerous occasions Martins has at least told this writer he is determined to stay and become a real legend.

Martins isn't stupid and appreciates the power of the number 9 shirt, he knows about the players that have worn it before him and wants to join them.

He'll probably be the first to admit that last season overall the player was below par compared to his first season when he struck 17 goals.

It made last year's tally of 10 seem disappointing but 27 in total in black and white isn't a bad start.

And when you consider that Newcastle's strong (ish) run towards the end of the season featured Martins in fine form alongside Mark Viduka and Michael Owen, if all three are fit then surely KK's front three pick themselves?

Or at least they earned the right due to the late season run in which they re-captured the imagination of the Toon Army.

We know Viduka will start the season with injury trouble but Martins looks likely to be fit for the start of the season.

Viduka's absence could be the chance for Andy Carroll but despite a pretty gloomy summer so far, United aren't short on firepower.

And despite "interest" from Arsenal, Martins' dreams of being a true Toon legend remain intact for now...

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Oh no there was never a chance of a quiet opener against Hull at home or even a quaint visit to Fulham - no, no only a game against the Premier League and European champions!

At one stage in Premier League history Newcastle of course were 12 points ahead of Man U, but that seems like a distant memory these days.

Yet one thing is for certain the Toon Army will still turn up at Old Trafford and be right behind their team - just as they were during the darkest hour of last term when the sixth goal went in on a miserable day for the Mags.

Early home games against Bolton and Hull give United the chance to get some points in the bag in the opening weeks of the new campaign but even so the second away game at Arsenal is equally as difficult to Man U away.

And as far as local pride is concerned, it will be trips down the A19 first up as local bragging rights are contested at Sunderland at the end of October and then Boro at the end of the following month.

The Boxing Day fixture is a case of deja vu with Wigan away, probably the graveyard of Sam Allardyce as the 1-0 loss at the JJB resulted in fans chanting for his head - something Graeme Souness also knows all about after the Carling Cup loss of 2005 sparking similar scenes at a ground we have lost 1-0 four times at now.

Other notable fixtures see a trip to Villa on the final day of the season while visits to newly promoted Hull, West Brom and Stoke all come in 2009.

Whatever way you look at it, you have to play every team but dreams of a winning start have instantly been squashed.

Buffon grabbed all of the headlines as he kept out Adrian Mutu from the spot to save Italian blushes but Carroll's potential has already been highlighted against the world star.

Don't forget the teenager's first and only senior strike couldn't have been against a better keeper when he beat Buffon to score during a 2-0 friendly win last summer.

And while obvious cries of "it was only a friendly!" may be instantly polluting the airwaves, there was nothing friendly about Buffon's attempt to decapitate Carroll moments after he'd beaten the £40million man.

But being a Geordie, Carroll simply brushed himself off and got on with the game after the X-rated clash from the A-rated Italian celeb.

To be fair to Buffon, the player even afforded me an interview after the game and said: "Carroll played like what we call in Italy a paintbrush striker.

“He was there to add the finishing touch. He played well on his own.”

“He will be an asset because he can find the smaller players around him in different ways and has already shown he has great awareness.”

Carroll of course has shown he has plenty promise for the future and at just 19 it has to be with Newcastle surely doesn't it?

Even a stint out on loan has not been ruled out by the player himself but Carroll is surely the closest thing you'll get to a young Dean Ashton and without a shadow of doubt, due to his Geordie roots, the nearest thing you will get to another local hero.

Let's be honest, we're desperate for somebody who breathes black and white to help fire us up the table.

And with figures such as the measly £1million being bandied about by Norwich City and the current cost cutting exercise going on at SJP it would be a disaster to lose him on the cheap.

I mean if Shola Ameobi is worth £3.5million surely Carroll is too, given his potential?

One goal against Buffon and Juve won't automatically mean hero status nor success in a black and white shirt, but it was one helluva start and to be fair to Carroll he has shown plenty of signs of development.

A striker's currency will always be goals and Carroll has still to net for the first team at competitive level.

But that will be the challenge for next season and Kevin Keegan may be happy to give him the chance to do so.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Let's be honest United's summer of wheeling and dealing is likely to start as the Euros draw to a close, KK is back behind his desk and the countdown to the new season is officially under way.

Certain people jumped up and down and got excited about signing Arda Turan but most Toon fans won't be getting excited about that, even if the Turk is eventually contacted by Newcastle over a possible move.

The player banged them in for Auxerre all right!

But the minute he was announced as a Toon player during World Cup 98, the French striker fell to pieces.

France won the tournament of course but the player picked up his medal with a red face after failing to hit a barn door during the tournament.

Newcastle fans couldn't wait after that!

And despite his five month stay in the Toon the player managed to go through TWO managers in that time before being shipped off to Rangers and then going back to France.

The record books show he did score one in his handful of appearances in black and white but only a consolation in the 4-1 loss to Liverpool at the start of the Gullit era, what a fine memory.

So while you are trying to avoid Big Brother by watching Euro 2008 remember the grass of Austria and Switzerland may seem greener than it is on Tyneside.

Be warned, there's a whole list of other major tournament flops if you dust off the covers too.

SHOULD UNITED SIGN ANYBODY FROM EURO 2008?

Rozehnal always came across as an honest bloke but after arriving from Paris St Germain to bolster his medals collection with Newcastle he left just a few months into his move from France for pastures new.

Regardless, of a few dodgy performances for Newcastle you don't become a bad player overnight in football although their seems to be a list of those who check in at United before heading down the slippery slope.

It shows he has got quality but never produced much of that at Newcastle.

True, the first part of his career at United was under the long ball era of Big Sam and despite experiencing the hullaballo of KK's return, just three games in and he'd seen enough after being fielded in midfield in the 3-0 roasting at Arsenal.

No guarantee of regular first team football meant it was see you later for Rozey.

And in an unpublished Chronicle interview just hours before his move to Lazio, Rozehnal uttered: "Something just isn't quite right here."

And another one had bitten the dust in a black and white shirt.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

The Special One's response every time is "Shut up Dave".

Yes anybody who has watched it will tell you it is rather ridiculous - but it is entertaining to an extent.

But sadly the current reality of the Ameobi situation is beginning to look a little bit similar.

Below is a clip from Setanta of Shola's biggest fan in Dave, who may probably be the only one at the moment who appreciates the constant updates of his next move from his agent.

Shola has been a player that has come through Newcastle's Academy system and had a real mixed bag when it comes to opinions about what he can offer to the black and whites.

Personally, and I risk abuse when I say it, but at one stage I think Shola's future was bright at Newcastle.

But a combination of injuries, managerial misunderstandings, bad luck and the fact he spent most of his time in the shadow of Alan Shearer meant that he was never going to get any consistency going.

And that is basically that.

He doesn't walk away from Newcastle a flop in my view - but perhaps a player who didn't quite hit the heights he should have with a good few magic moments chucked in.

Now we are getting constant updates from Shola's agent Steven Denos who denies/can confirm/can reveal Shola would be interested in/would not consider/will not be going to or is considering a move to X,Y or Z.

And the truth is as Kevin Keegan said about Peter Ramage, who left Everton in tears after his final game, it won't get much bigger than Newcastle United for anybody who leaves.

Shola, who has been removed off the club's list of players on the official website already, knows that his next move is crucial after his stint at Stoke last term didn't quite work out.

And it will be noted with passing interest where he goes next.

But for now until it's rubber stamped where he goes exactly I might just stick to watching puppet shows of Mourinho just to pass the time until we see Shola sporting the scarf of his new club.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW AND THE BEST RESPONSES MAY APPEAR IN THE CHRONICLE SPORTS SECTION

Realistically, it doesn’t look like we’re going to get a Thierry Henry or a Ronaldinho this summer, in fact it looks like we’re struggling to sign anybody at the moment.

And that hit home when Geordie boy Gary Madine opted to sign a three-year contract with Carlisle United rather than try his luck at St James’s Park.

And Bafetimbi Gomis, the French star, has opted to stay with St Etienne despite interest from United and both Dennis Wise and Kevin Keegan heading to France for spying missions recently.

There’s been little good news in terms of incoming transfers but that could change when Kevin Keegan returns from holiday in the next week or so.

But with three big blows in the transfer market so far and the middle of June already fast approaching with four weeks to go until pre-season, a hectic period potentially lies in wait.

The truth is United are no longer the big force when it comes to signing world stars and just like it took Peter Beardsley to get something started back in 1993, with Les Ferdinand, David Ginola, Alan Shearer and Tino Asprilla and Co all following on – maybe another Beardo style figure will be the catalyst to better days ahead.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE TOON’S TREBLE TRANSFER BLOW?