Executive director (football) Dennis Wise, vice-president (player recruitment) Tony Jimenez and technical co-ordinator Jeff Vetere are all on their travels this week with manager Kevin Keegan hoping for more key signings.

The trio's mission has been boosted by the success of their earlier efforts with Argentinian duo Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini, as well as former Liverpool midfielder Danny Guthrie, making impressive debuts in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

Keegan's squad is currently in a state of flux with striker Shola Ameobi seemingly set to follow the likes of Peter Ramage, Stephen Carr, James Troisi, David Rozehnal, Lamine Diatta and Abdoulaye Faye out of the door after agreeing personal terms with Ipswich.

With Alan Smith's future also the subject of continued speculation, there have been concerns that the manager's resources would be severely stretched with strikers Michael Owen and Mark Viduka both missing through injury at Old Trafford.

However, the performance at United has sent spirits soaring and while even the famously bullish Keegan will not allow himself to be carried away, there is a sense of renewed optimism around St James' Park.

The club was not commenting today on a report that owner Mike Ashley has made Owen a staggering new contract offer amounting to £140,000 a week, or £21million over three years.

While that would be at odds with much of what has gone before this summer, Keegan has repeatedly insisted that Owen's retention is a priority and talks have been ongoing for some time.

In the meantime, Wise, Jimenez and Vetere will attempt to push home the club's interest in a series of targets with Barcelona's Javier Saviola understood to be firmly in their sights as they seek to arrange an initial loan deal.

They have also been linked with Real Mallorca trio Oscar Trejo, Borga Valero and Jose Carlos de Arcojo Nunes, although they are not alone in that respect, while Blackburn's Stephen Warnock has been on their radar for some time.

Whether the ranks are swelled before Saturday's visit of Bolton to Tyneside remains to be seen, and Keegan will hope his international men all return from their respective midweek appointments in good health.

Jonas and Coloccini headed straight off from Manchester to Minsk for Argentina's clash with Belarus, and will not return until Thursday evening, although Republic of Ireland duo Shay Given and Damien Duff will be back from Norway early the same morning.

Charles N'Zogbia could not make it in time to join up with his France Under-21s colleagues after Sunday's game, while James Milner will have time to recover after tonight's England Under-21s' clash with Slovenia in Hull.

Defender Steven Taylor would also have played in that game but withdrew from the squad with an ankle problem picked up at the weekend.

However, he is confident he will be fit to line up against Bolton.

He said: "After Sunday's game, myself and James Milner and Manchester United's Fraizer Campbell were driven straight to Hull.

"I immediately saw the England club doctor and after he had examined my ankle, we both agreed that it would be too risky to play against Slovenia.

"I left the England camp at 9am yesterday morning and was driven straight to the Newcastle training ground.

"I had a scan on my ankle and there is nothing broken or anything like that.

"I should be back in training in the next couple of days and I will be ready for Saturday's match with Bolton Wanderers, if selected."

Taylor and Keegan alike with hope that Coloccini and Habib Beye, who is on duty with Senegal in Libya, return unscathed as they attempt to establish a settled back four.

Meanwhile, Ipswich manager Jim Magilton has confirmed the proposed transfer of Magpies striker Shola Ameobi has been shelved due to injury.

The two clubs agreed a fee for the 26-year-old and he spent yesterday undergoing a medical at Portman Road.

However, after the detection of a hamstring injury which is unlikely to clear up before the end of the transfer window, Magilton has decided to call off the transfer for the time being.

Magilton told the club's official website, www.itfc.co.uk: "It's disappointing but you have to be careful with hamstring injuries.

"We don't want a repeat of last season when Shefki Kuqi joined us and suffered a hamstring injury in his first game."