SAINTS have been forced to issue yet another statement on James Beattie's future as one of the strangest transfer stories for many years rumbled on.

Chairman Rupert Lowe and manager Paul Sturrock again put on a united front to insist that talk of a £6m bid from Newcastle was incorrect and they are not in the business of selling their best players.

But what is puzzling to many observers and fans is just why this story shows no signs of abating.

Normally in transfer stories they keep going until somebody confirms or denies an interest. In this case, everybody's denied it and still it continues.

As well as Lowe and Sturrock, the Southampton arm of the story, Sir Bobby Robson and Freddie Shepherd, Newcastle manager and chairman respectively, have played it down.

Even Beattie's agent, Jon Smith, admits to being baffled by stories of a 'done deal' to the Magpies appearing almost daily.

Many people will say there is no smoke without fire, but at the moment it is not the key figures who are fanning the flames - rather, it would seem, people not directly involved in any possible transfer.

There is little doubt that Robson and Shepherd have considered a move for Beattie. Robson's a known admirer and wants a new striker.

But the main problem Newcastle have is funding a deal.

An offer of £6m would be short of what Saints would want, which only allows for the Magpies finding the extra cash from somewhere or doing a part-exchange deal.

More sense to them would be Patrick Kluivert, who has now set a two-week deadline for a deal to be sorted, who is available on a free - even though his signing-on fee and wages would be considerably higher than Beattie's.

At this point Saints seem to have Mido, who is now claiming Fulham are interested in him as well, and DaMarcus Beasley as their top targets.

Of course, it is partly the Mido rumour which has kick-started the Beattie speculation again.

Just days after the club sign a fifth striker, Peter Crouch, and Sturrock says five strikers is the ideal number, they are in the market for another.

But Saints still insist they aren't selling.

The strange thing is it's not the agent, media or the club driving these stories and the closing of the transfer window will come as a welcome break!