Keegan is yet to make the first signing of his second spell at St James's Park – six months after returning to the club.

And having seen David Rozehnal, Peter Ramage and Stephen Carr leave, with Emre set to follow them out of the door, he is short on numbers.

Keegan, however, believes the rest of his squad will come back champing at the bit ahead of the new campaign after the turnaround late last season.

And he says the spirit he forged in the dressing room in adversity will be as important to United's success as his transfer captures.

"The players will all go home with different agendas," Keegan told the Echo.

"But they'll come back with a spirit and togetherness that we've got at the club now.

"We've had no one saying: 'It's not a good club'. The players have never said anything like that.

"And any player that's left has been treated respectfully, and every member of staff who has left has been treated respectfully."

Keegan found the dressing room at a low ebb when he succeeded Sam Allardyce last season, with the club lurching towards the relegation zone.

It took him and his staff time to lift morale, but they did, and their efforts culminated in the seven-game unbeaten run which lifted Newcastle away from relegation trouble.

While the campaign ended on a low note – with United suffering back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Everton – Keegan is convinced his players will be refreshed and ready to challenge at the top end of the table when they return from their summer holidays.

He added: "We'll now try and pick it up ready for next season."

The only question is how many new faces Keegan – not expected to be among the top-flight's big spenders – is able to bring to the club between now and the start of the 2008-9 season.

Meanwhile, former Walsall manager Richard Money is in the running to be the new Academy director at Newcastle.

Ex-Crystal Palace boss Peter Taylor had been sounded out about the post, but opted to return to club management with League Two Wycombe Wanderers.

Paul Hart and Terry Gibson are also understood to be on United's shortlist.

* Newcastle United will accept season ticket renewals all next week, with the deadline having been put back after forms were sent out later than planned.