taken from the daily ranger
CELTIC'S proposed £5.5million bid for Manchester City bad boy Joey Barton is set to be hijacked by Newcastle.
Parkhead manager Gordon Strachan is eyeing a move for the temperamental midfielder but Toon boss Sam Allardyce plans to finance a swoop by selling Scott Parker to West Ham.
Allardyce is willing to offload skipper Parker to the Hammers for £8m if he can sort out personal terms and Barton has been earmarked as the replecement.
City will shift Barton for the set fee and
Celtic and Newcastle are now set for a head to head. The Manchester club would prefer to keep Barton until they sort out a new manager for next season and have made it difficult for bidders so far, but a concrete offer will make the player force the transfer.
Newcastle are edging ahead in the race and Strachan's attention may now switch to West Brom's Jason Koumas.
The Welsh international will be leaving the Hawthorns after their failure in Monday's Championship play-off final against Derby.