The pair's deals end on Tuesday but both have a clause to
collect another month's severance pay if they do not sign for new
clubs in July. Owen is on £125,000 a week and Viduka picks up
£65,000 a week.
Keith Harris, the man brokering the sale of the club for Mike
Ashley, was in America last night and an £80million deal could be
struck inside 72 hours. But a legal battle with ex-boss Kevin
Keegan is proving a major obstacle.
Keegan claims boardroom interference forced him out and plans a
£9m court battle to pay up the three years left on his contract
when he quit.
St James' Park is in complete meltdown. The club plan to cull
the playing staff but Porto, who want Argentine winger Jonas
Gutierrez, have not been able to contact anyone to get the transfer
moving.
And the coaching staff have been forced to swap their company
BMWs for second-hand motors. In another blow, key fitness experts
Robbie Elliott and Mark Hulse have both left.