Newcastle agree fee for Woodgate

Leeds United have accepted a bid from Premiership rivals Newcastle for their England defender Jonathan Woodgate.

BBC Radio Newcastle reported Thursday that the Magpies' latest offer, which is believed to be around nine million pounds (15 million dollars), has been accepted by the crisis-hit Elland Road club.

England international Woodgate is expected to finalise personal terms and undergo a medical at Newcastle on Friday.

Woodgate's imminent departure from Leeds is a major blow for manager Terry Venables.

Venables has hinted he could quit if the heavily-indebted club decide to offload 23-year-old Woodgate in the wake of Robbie Fowler's departure for Manchester City, which was completed on Thursday.

Bobby Robson's Newcastle side are still in the Champions League, have an outside chance of forcing their way into the title race and look certain to return to Europe next season.

Leeds in contrast are being squeezed between creditors owed a total of 77 million pounds and one of the biggest wage bills in the Premier League.

The financial problems triggered the sale of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United after the World Cup last summer.

Robbie Keane departed for Tottenham Hotspur soon after and the current transfer window has seen both Olivier Dacourt and Lee Bowyer leave on loan deals designed to get them off the payroll, as well as the sale of Fowler.

Venables had been second favourite to leave his position behind West Ham's Glenn Roeder. But bookmakers William Hill have suspended their book on the issue because of concern a decision might already have been made.