Premiership - Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce will flex his new-found financial muscle by going head-to-head with the big boys as he rebuilds this summer.

"Big" Sam joined Toon from Bolton in May and started the clear-out by releasing seven first-team players as soon as the Premiership season ended. While at the Reebok he played the market with shrewd loans, free-transfers and rejuvenating the careers of "broken" men, now he can spend and lure top names to St James' Park.

And now he is set to swoop for his former employee Tal Ben Haim. The speedy Bolton defender, 25, has been long linked with a move to Chelsea and will almost certainly leave the Reebok as his contract winds down in the coming weeks. But a reunion with Allardyce is tempting the Israel international, along with the prospect of a senior role in the team - he would most likely take Khalid Boulahrouz role of back-up defender at Chelsea, competing with John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira for a starting slot.

The Magpies have also been linked with a winter loan swoop for LA-bound David Beckham - although this is unlikely - along with any defender going, following the releases of Titus Bramble, Craig Moore, Olivier Bernard and Oguchi Onyewu.

Former Fulham boss Chris Coleman will be fuming at reports that Whites chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed is set to give new boss Lawrie Sanchez a transfer kitty of around £10 million this summer, only five games after he was sacked.

Coleman was never given such an amount in his four seasons managing Fulham, despite selling-off the club's crown jewels for at times huge sums. Fulham fans will also be a touch concerned with rumours linking the club to Leeds striker David Healy and midfielders Lee Cook (QPR) and Steve Davis (Aston Villa) - their defence was the worst in the Premiership this season, shipping a whopping 60 goals, even more than Watford. Former Watford winger Cook has also been linked with relegated Charlton, who are expected to sell Jerome Thomas to promoted Birmingham.

Villa are reportedly lining up want-away West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker as a replacement for Davis and are being linked with a Liverpool swoop for Craig Bellamy and Harry Kewell.

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, have been linked with a swoop for Fulham captain Michael Brown, who is unsure of his future at the club. George Boating is expected to leave the Riverside this summer and Boro are struggling to meet Manchester City's asking price for number one target Joey Barton.

Everton, meanwhile, are still thought to be in the race for controversial midfielder Barton, although are expected to bid for versatile Sheffield United midfielder-cum-defender Phil Jagielka. The Toffees have also been linked with £3million-rated Sheffield Wednesday defender Frankie Simek.

Reda Maher

Reda Maher