By Matthew Jones
June 20 2002

Newcastle are to confirm the £8million signing of Portugal international midfielder Hugo Viana this afternoon, a British record for a teenager. Newcastle are to confirm the £8million signing of Portugal international midfielder Hugo Viana this afternoon, a British record for a teenager.

Sir Bobby Robson is keen to land the Sporting Lisbon playmaker after having him watched earlier this summer, with the 19-year-old believed to have agreed terms today.

Robson has stolen a march on fellow suitors Juventus and Chelsea for Viana, who was promoted to the full Portugal World Cup squad from the Under-21s on the eve of the tournament.

Indeed Viana has been labelled in his homeland as the next Rui Costa and hailed by chairman Freddie Shepherd as an exciting signing.

"We are delighted to have got him. The general consensus of opinion is that he's the best young player in the world at the moment," he told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

Certainly rated as one of his country's finest young stars, Viana made his full international debut last January and has since collected four caps.

But he was not involved in Portugal's dismal World Cup campaign, in which they lost against the USA and South Korea in a tournament they will be desperate to forget.