Toon end defender hunt

Newcastle manager Graeme Souness has ended his interest in Paris Saint Germain defender Jean-Hugues Ateba Bilayi.

The Cameroon defender headed to Newcastle this summer and featured for the club during pre-season.

It had been suggested Souness was considering making a bid for the 23-year-old's services after being impressed with his efforts in pre-season, but the Scot has decided not to follow up his initial interest.

"We have had a couple of players in to train with us since pre-season started and he was one of those, but we will not be signing him," Souness told Sky Sports News.

Souness is striving to strengthen his attack, with only Alan Shearer, Shola Ameobi and Michael Chopra as options a week ahead of the new season.

Fulham's Luis Boa Morte is a player on his wish list and Souness confirmed the club are still in dialogue with The Cottagers for the speedy forward.

"We have been in touch with Fulham," he added. "But the chairman deals with all that.

"We know where we need to strengthen and Boa Morte is another player I think highly of, but it would be wrong of me to start talking about other people's players but he is a player I do like."