Gooch never
settled at St. James' Park after his January move from Standard Liege, and following the departure of Glenn Roeder his loan move was never expected to be made permanent. On Tuesday, Allardyce was
signed to a three-year deal worth approximately $6 million per year, and several players have already been targeted as potential summer acquisitions, including Tal Ben Haim of Allardyce's former club
Bolton, Aston Villa's Lloyd Samuel and Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell.
Meanwhile, Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd brushed aside suggestions the club would be sold to an American buyer over the summer. "None of these talks came to anything because I'm not selling," he said. "It's an impossible club to buy."