Dyer's worth £5m if he can avoid injury

The St James' Park club are hopeful of securing a deal that will ultimately net them around £5million. The player's injury record, though, means they will probably have to take a down payment which will rise depending on how many games Dyer plays.

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The 28-year-old has family problems and is eager to end his eight-year association with the club which paid Ipswich £6m for him in 1999.

He was not missed last night, however, as Sam Allardyce sent out a Newcastle side for the first time at home.

Due to his lengthening injury list, Allardyce was forced to turn to Albert Luque, the £9.5m former Deportivo La Coruna forward who has started just six Premiership games in two seasons at Newcastle.

Yet Luque found Gordon Strachan's team to his fancy and had scored twice by half-time.

Obafemi Martins exposed the frailties of Celtic's defence in the 11th minute when he escaped Stephen McManus 18 yards from goal before drilling a right-foot shot past Artur Boruc.

On the half-hour Luque, who had earlier hit a free-kick wide of the left corner flag, beat a weak offside trap to slot a shot past Boruc from eight yards.

The third came three minutes before half-time when Nolberto Solano's rightwing cross was volleyed past the bemused Celtic goalkeeper by the Spaniard.

Allardyce watched the match from the Newcastle directors' box.

He sat alongside new chairman Chris Mort, who has full boardroom control following Freddy Shepherd's sacking on Tuesday night. But Mort last night expressed satisfaction at Shepherd's appointment of the former Bolton boss.

"We have all been impressed by how Sam Allardyce has set about his business as the new manager of Newcastle United," he said.

"One of the last acts of the previous board was to capture Sam as the club's new manager after his departure from Bolton. We have not set specific targets for Sam and we are not going to make wild promises for the future.

"We have made four excellent signings in the summer, but Sam and I feel more signings will be required before we are ready for the new season, particularly to strengthen our defence.

"Building a squad capable of competing at the highest level will take time — nothing happens overnight — but we are confident that in due course we can take this club to a higher level."

Mort knows Newcastle face far greater challenges than the one presented by Celtic for the majority of last night.

Aiden McGeady brought a save from Shay Given in the 53rd minute, but the home side soon resumed control and Boruc denied Andy Carroll before James Milner went close from 25 yards.

Strachen's men scored a consolation in the 73rd minute when Scott Brown headed in McGeady's cross.