Newcastle have improved their offer for Fulham winger Luis Boa Morte to £5m according to reports this morning.

Despite Freddie Shepherd’s insistence last month that the Magpies would go no higher than the £3.5m bid Fulham rejected earlier in the summer, Graeme Souness’ desperation to land the Portuguese winger has seen them table another offer. Chris Coleman has insisted that Boa Morte is not for sale – and that he would be lining up for Fulham in Saturday’s opening game of the season against Birmingham City.

Boa Morte and his representatives discussed the new bid with Fulham’s hierarchy yesterday afternoon. It is understood that the offer still falls short of Fulham’s £6m valuation.