Big Sam hoping to wrap up Barton deal

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Allardyce has made a positive start to his reign, persuading striker Mark Viduka to leave Middlesbrough and head north while also reaching agreement with midfielder Barton, pending a cash wrangle, to join him.

The £5.5million deal is being held up by a row between the player and City over a £300,000 loyalty payment and when asked about the situation, Allardyce said: "I'm not quite sure yet. Joey has gone on holiday, hopefully we'll try to tie it off (on Thursday), finally, and make sure he's going to be a Newcastle player for next season."

With the arrival of Barton apparently imminent and Viduka already a Newcastle player, Allardyce is eager to bolster the Magpies' defensive ranks.

The Magpies have lodged a bid for Paris St Germain defender David Rozehnal - who is also being chased by Borussia Dortmund - and are pursuing Tal Ben Haim, Habib Beye and Sami Hyypia, while reports linking the club with Reading's Nicky Shorey certainly fit the stature of left-back in the manager's sights.

"We need to concentrate on defenders because we're very short in that area," he told Sky Sports News.

"We'll try to strengthen that department by bringing in at least a couple of centre-halves, a left-back and maybe a right-back. We want to have enough players, defensively-minded, to improve the Newcastle clean sheet record.

"That is going to be important. We've got goalscorers at the other end, with the additions of Mark Viduka and Joey Barton, but we must sort out the defensive side of the team to make sure that when we score goals, they win us three points."