Pardew: Beckham move ´unlikely´

Alan Pardew has cooled talk that he wants to sign David Beckham as Newcastle United prepare to meet West Ham United on Wednesday.

The LA Galaxy star has been linked with a move to Tyneside, even though Tottenham appear firmly in the driving seat in the race to win his signature for a two-month loan deal from his MLS side.

Pardew is expected to be backed in the January transfer window by club owner Mike Ashley but said: “The reason I haven’t dismissed (Beckham) is because I haven’t dismissed anybody. But it is unlikely and there have been no talks.”

“We’ve got to get away from David Beckham. We’re in the market, but we’re going sit down and talk about transfers this week.”

Pardew opted for Shola Ameobi and Peter Lovenkrands against Wigan in the 1-0 win at the DW Stadium on Sunday, but says that one million pound man Leon Best is also in line for some action.

He said: “Leon could very well feature in the next two games. It is not true that he is on the transfer list. He had a good little cameo against Wigan.”

Pardew was delighted to head into the clash with his old club on the back of a win at Wigan.

West Ham sacked Pardew in 2006, and he is keen to get one over his old club.

“There is no love lost there, I’m concentrating on the next game,” Pardew said.

“It is an important game for us. We have to make sure we turn up on Wednesday night and they (West Ham) feel the real force from us.”

“And us winning like this and West Ham winning (against Wolves on Saturday) makes it a really good game because the confidence is coming from both camps.”

Pardew has described leading scorer Andy Carroll’s chances of being fit for the meeting with arch-rivals Sunderland on January 15 as ’50-50′.