Newcastle will head off a summer swoop by Manchester United for Craig Bellamy - by slapping a £25 million valuation on the bad boy's head.
The Red Devils are considering a big money double bid for Welsh striker Bellamy and Blackburn winger Damien Duff.
Sir Alex Ferguson is a confirmed admirer of Bellamy's pace and trickery, seeing him as the potentially perfect foil for the barnstorming Ruud van Nistelrooy.
But the Magpies last night vowed to price Bellamy out of a move to Old Trafford, despite his latest off-field problems.
The 23-year-old is under investigation following claims that he verbally and racially abused a man outside a Cardiff nightclub last week.
"We know Manchester United are keen on Craig but we are trying to build a Championship-winning team here, so they are the last club we would willingly sell him to," said a high-ranking St James's Park insider.
"We wouldn't accept anything other than silly money for Bellamy, anyway. The transfer market may be depressed but for a genuine gold nugget like him, you are talking £25 million."
Bellamy has blossomed beyond all expectations on Tyneside after Sir Bobby Robson's decided to pay £6 million for him in the summer of 2001.
And he shrugged off the controversy which has surrounded him by scoring after just 13 seconds in Wales' 4-0 victory over Azerbaijan yesterday.
The Red Devils are considering a big money double bid for Welsh striker Bellamy and Blackburn winger Damien Duff.
Sir Alex Ferguson is a confirmed admirer of Bellamy's pace and trickery, seeing him as the potentially perfect foil for the barnstorming Ruud van Nistelrooy.
But the Magpies last night vowed to price Bellamy out of a move to Old Trafford, despite his latest off-field problems.
The 23-year-old is under investigation following claims that he verbally and racially abused a man outside a Cardiff nightclub last week.
"We know Manchester United are keen on Craig but we are trying to build a Championship-winning team here, so they are the last club we would willingly sell him to," said a high-ranking St James's Park insider.
"We wouldn't accept anything other than silly money for Bellamy, anyway. The transfer market may be depressed but for a genuine gold nugget like him, you are talking £25 million."
Bellamy has blossomed beyond all expectations on Tyneside after Sir Bobby Robson's decided to pay £6 million for him in the summer of 2001.
And he shrugged off the controversy which has surrounded him by scoring after just 13 seconds in Wales' 4-0 victory over Azerbaijan yesterday.