NEWCASTLE UNITED'S search for a successor to replace Kevin Keegan has taken them to Spain. Yesterday three of the club's direetors, Douglas Hall, Freddie Shepherd and Freddie Fletcher, flew to Barcelona to sound out the possibility of Bobby Rob son vacating the hot seat there to return to England and his native northeast.

That meeting did not rule out the chances of either Kenny Dalglish or John Toshack taking the helm at St James' Park, as the short list of potential Newcastle managers hardened to three.

Robson, denying neither the approach nor his interest in the Newcastle job, said: "If you believe all the reports I'm one of several people that are apparently being offered the job at the same time - Johann Cruyff, Kenny Dalglish, John Toshack, Bobby Rob son. I've got no comment to make, it's all speculation. I'm very happy to be at Barcelona. I'm very proud to be at this club."

There was no confirmation to be found at St James' Park, but Barcelona issued a statement through their spokesman, Jose Miguel Peres: "Mr Robson is manager of Barcelona and he will stay at the club for the next two years of his contract. We are not expecting any changes."

Newcastle, with a £160 million stock market flotation at stake, would presumably move a lot of earth to get Rob son, even if, as has been suggested, they only wanted him to be a figurehead with Peter Beardsley assuming the post of player/manager.

Beardsley, training in Durham yesterday, would make no comment. Dalglish, meanwhile, has indicated that he is interested in the job although it is uncertain whether direct talks with Newcastle have already taken place.

Similarly, Toshack, manager of Deportivo La Coruna, would not state whether he had spoken to Sir John Hall, the Newcastle chairman who is on holiday in Marbella. When asked directly: "Are you saying you're not interested in the job?" Toshack replied: "No, I'm not saying anything. All I'm saying is I have a contract here until the 30th of June which I would expect, in normal circumstances, to fulfil. And then, to be perfectly honest, I don't know where I'll be working.

"I've had a lot of calls about this because at the weekend I announced I probably wouldn't be renewing my contract here when I finished this season, and that's caused a little bit of upheaval. A couple of days later Kevin resigned and people may be thinking our relationship is such that we speak more than we do and put two and two together.

Last night, though, it was Robson rather than Toshack who was the talk of the Tyne. Robson is notoriously loyal - he turned down Barcelona twice during his time at Ipswich Town - and, only five months into a two year contract, would be reluctant not to honour it.

With the Spanish championship still winnable, the "return of the native" appeal may just be too romantic, although, perhaps crucially, not to Hall who would dearly love a Geordie to lead Newcastle onto the stock market. Whoever is eventually chosen it will be Hall's last major act as chairman of Newcastle, as it was confirmed that he will step aside after the public flotation, transferring power into the hands of his son Douglas, and chief executive, Fletcher.

"I'm proud to have been a part of Kevin Keegan's five years at the club," said Hall yesterday. "I had a tremendous rapport with Keegan and no one should underestimate what he did for Newcastle. So much was achieved and our job now is to make certain we build on that. The dream lives on.

Significantly, Alan Hansen, Dalglish's best friend in the game, commented on the Newcastle situation when promoting the first football related investment fund. "You have to employ a manager with experience at the top level," said Hansen, "and if Dalglish took the job tomorrow, all the doom and gloom would be lifted."