 NEWCASTLE United are on the trail of former Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes. Reports from leading Spanish paper AS today suggest United are in pole position for the 24-year-old Atletico Madrid striker. And the key to the whole deal could lie with United’s recruitment Director Tony Jimenez, who, like Reyes, just happens to hail from Seville. In the meantime, three clubs – Stoke City, Ipswich Town and Norwich City – were involved in a fight to sign United striker Shola Ameobi on loan before tonight’s 5pm deadline. And Stoke manager Tony Pulis was confident he would get the striker, who is the leading United scorer in the current squad. But goals are something Reyes has been short of since he moved across Madrid from Real to Atletico, and this is one of the reasons why the latter are ready to put him up for sale for around £5m. But whether Jimenez can persuade Reyes to come to Tyneside is another matter. One of the reasons the Spanish international left Arsenal was because he found England too cold. But his international career has gone on ice and this is why he is considering returning to the Premier League, with Liverpool’s Spanish boss Rafael Benitez and Sven-Goran Eriksson at Manchester City interested, as well as United. Reyes is equally at home as a left-sided front man and as a second striker, and the talk coming out of Spain today is that United could see him as a natural successor for Damien Duff, who has yet to find his Chelsea form at St James’s. In addition, United are aware that Sunday’s opponents Spurs are ready to move for Charles N’Zogbia in the close season and that the Frenchman is tempted by the bright lights of London. The priority for United at the moment is making sure the club is playing in the Premier League next season and this has been left in the hands of Kevin Keegan. But at the same time it is to the credit of Tony Jimenez, Dennis Wise and Jeff Vetere that they are scouring Europe for the top talent and in recent weeks, apart from Reyes, they have watched Seville’s Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano and Bafetimbi Gomis at St Etienne. | 
