Craig Bellamy finally parted company with Newcastle United yesterday, joining Blackburn Rovers on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee believed to be £5 million.
Bellamy's destination was a surprise given he said he required Champions League football - Blackburn finished below Newcastle last season - but it is understood that, despite the four-year contract, he has negotiated a get-out clause after 12 months.
Bellamy became the sixth member of Newcastle's first-team squad to leave this summer and a seventh is expected to be Darren Ambrose, who is due in London today for talks with Charlton Athletic.
With only Scott Parker recruited, from Chelsea, the Newcastle manager, Graeme Souness, has a deficit of numbers that makes his position look increasingly vulnerable. Newcastle's first game of the season is next weekend in the Intertoto Cup.
Souness will hope the money raised by Bellamy and Ambrose, approximately £6.5 million, will enable Newcastle to seal the transfer of Emre Belozoglu from Internazionale.
Inter value Emre at £4 million and Newcastle should be able to accommodate his salary having slashed their own wage bill. Souness must then look to sign at least one new striker: post-Bellamy, with Shola Ameobi recovering from a hip injury, United have only Alan Shearer and Michael Chopra to choose from next week.
Bellamy declined to become involved in another slanging match with Souness yesterday and instead the Welshman pointedly praised Newcastle and their fans.
Souness accused him of being a "disruptive influence" as their relationship soured in January. Bellamy, who turns 26 next week, went on loan to Celtic but, when he returned to England and it became clear none of the big three nor Liverpool were interested, he spoke to Everton.
That was on Sunday and Monday. But Bellamy was unconvinced by David Moyes and, with Mark Hughes, Bellamy's former manager with Wales, at Blackburn, Rovers were always live possibilities. "Football moves on, it's about me now and trying to do as well as I can for Blackburn Rovers," said Bellamy.
Meanwhile, Liverpool's hopes of signing the Portugal midfielder Luis Figo from Real Madrid are being frustrated by the Spanish club's surprise £2-million valuation. Talks between the player and the two clubs are expected to resume today.
Liverpool also hope to secure Peter Crouch with an improved offer of £6.5 million to be submitted to Southampton. Jamie Carragher will follow Steven Gerrard's lead and sign a new four-year contract today, taking the Anfield defender's weekly wage from £40,000 to £65,000.
