Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Ruud van Nistelrooy's situation with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
And after studying the Dutch striker's body language in Sunday's game with them, I believe United are ready to fight a host of top European clubs for the 29-year-old.
Chairman Freddy Shepherd's priority is to find a new manager, but while he does, he knows he cannot allow other clubs to steal a march on United when the transfer window opens again in the summer.
Obviously, the new manager will decide just who will come and go from St James' Park, in the close season, but Shepherd wants everything in place for him so United can act immediately.
Shepherd has had informal talks with his caretaker manager, Glenn Roeder, about a lot of things because he respects the former skipper's opinions, and I would be surprised if new players have not been mentioned.
And when I have chewed the fat with Roeder about which players he would like to see at St James' Park next season, regardless of who the new manager is, the name of Van Nistelrooy was at the top of his list.
This was before there were reports over the weekend that Spurs are ready to play £7m for the Manchester United striker, and a claim today that Van Nistelrooy has told his family that his time is up at Old Trafford.
United, of course, will be without Alan Shearer next season and they know they face the almost impossible task of replacing the greatest goalscorer and possibly the greatest player in the history of the Premiership.
But there are two strikers who can run Shearer close. United already have one of them in Michael Owen, and the other is Van Nistelrooy, who is the joint top scorer in the Premiership at the moment with Thierry Henry with 19 goals to his credit, despite not figuring in Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up recently.
There has been a lot of talk coming out of Anfield in the past week about Owen going back to Liverpool, but he is on a four-year contract at St James' Park.
But United know that Owen would be a lot happier if he has another world class striker playing alongside him in a black-and- white shirt next season.
United will face competition as AC Milan and Roma are also interested, but if Van Nistelrooy wants to stay in the Premiership then Newcastle's hat will be in the ring.
