Premiership Trio Chase QPR Striker

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Premier League trio Fulham, Bolton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion are all in the hunt to sign Dexter Blackstock at Championship side Queens Park Rangers, according to the Daily Mirror.

QPR’s West London neighbours Fulham are believed to be favourites to sign 22-year-old Blackstock, with the Cottagers understood to have sent scouts to watch the England Under-21 International in recent weeks. However, it is now understood that the Baggies and the Trotters are also keen to bring the former Southampton player to the Premiership.

The Super Hoops want Blackstock to commit his future to Loftus Road, but the striker is unsure as to whether to sign a new deal at QPR, which has alerted Bolton, West Brom and Fulham.

Blackstock has been at QPR since joining from the Saints in 2006 and has found the net 11 times this season, with The Hoops should they decide to let the forward leave ready to ask for as much as £4million for Blackstock, who was bought from Southampton by former manager Gary Waddock for £500,000.

Walcott On Track For Arsenal Comeback

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Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is confident about making a return to action for the Gunners in February after dislocating his shoulder while training with England before the friendly against Germany in November.

England International Walcott had to undergo surgery on his right shoulder after dislocating it before the clash with Germany in Berlin, but the former Southampton player is confident that he will be back in February and is targeting the Premier League clubs Champions League last-16 tie, which is due to be played on February 24/25th.

This will come as a relief to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who said at the time of the injury that he expected 19-year-old Walcott to feature again for the Premiership club in three-months and that the injury was not career threatening. Despite the young Gunner having a history of shoulder problems.

Now Walcott has confirmed that “everything is fine” and that a return for Arsenal in mid-February is a realistic target for his comeback.

“Everything is fine. I am expecting to be back mid-February,” Walcott said.

Kinnear Reveals Shearer Newcastle Snub As He Signs Six-Month Extension At St James' Park

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Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear has revealed that Magpies legend Alan Shearer turned down the opportunity to join the coaching staff at St James’ Park.

61-year-old Kinnear, who took over at the Toon after Kevin Keegan resigned in September had said last week that the door was “always open” for Shearer to return to Newcastle. However, Kinnear has now revealed that the former England International felt he was not ready to step into a coaching role at the North East club.

“[Shearer] said it was a very kind offer but wasn't ready for it yet, and I said,'That's fine',” Kinnear said.

Kinnear has just signed a six-month extension to his original short-term deal at the Magpies and has now suggested that he could bring someone else in on the coaching side at Newcastle.

Kinnear added: “There's a possibility I might bring someone else in on the coaching front now.”

Shearer spent over 10 years at St James’ Park, scoring 206 goals in 404 appearances during his time with Newcastle. The former Blackburn Rovers and Southampton player had stated in September that he would like to manage in the Premier League one day, but Kinnear is unconcerned at the striker being continually linked with the manager’s job at Newcastle, saying that it is never likely to go away.

“I said he would be welcome to come in any time to give the place a lift and work with our strikers,” he said.

“It was very honourable of Alan. Speculation linking him with the job is never going to go away and we're both aware of that.

“I told him he's more than welcome here and there's not a problem, there's no aggravation between us.”