Italian sources believe Shearer is for sale

Two sources in Milan and Rome believe that Alan Shearer is set to leave Newcastle United.

The striker will attract bids of around £15 million when the Italian transfer season opens again in January and that coach Ruud Gullit is resigned to losing the England captain.

The signing of Duncan Ferguson from Everton yesterday is meant to change Newcastle's style to a longer ball game in a bid to halt a slide towards relegation from the Premiership. Gullit believes he has inherited a squad that will fight against relegation this season and needs to be more direct if it is to survive. Juventus and AS Roma head the list of clubs that will put in transfer requests for the striker once he decides to leave Newcastle and Ferguson is set to replace him in a radical overhaul of the Newcastle side. Gullit criticised Shearer for his playing style while a coach with Premiership rivals Chelsea and tried to buy Ferguson when he was leading the London club.