Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan is refusing to discuss the prospect of losing James Milner.

The winger's transfer request was made public by Newcastle yesterday and Aston Villa are now leading the race for a player who enjoyed a successful loan spell in the Midlands back in 2005.

Milner's request was prompted by an impasse in contract negotiations but publicising it was seemingly not the course of action preferred by Keegan, but rather a decision made by the club's board.

His reluctance to accept that the 22-year-old could be heading out of St James' Park is born out of the frustration which has seen him fail to add suitable numbers to his squad this summer.

The Toon chief has made it clear that he does not have a sufficiently big enough squad to compete in the higher echelons of the Premier League.

However, his words appear to have fallen on deaf ears as the club's board refuse to sanction more arrivals.

To make matters worse, Keegan may now see his plans hindered further by the unwanted sale of one of his more creative influences.

"James has a three-year contract. I do not want to talk about losing him," he said. "He is absolutely top notch - around the club, around the training ground. He is getting better and better every game."

With a mounting injury list giving Keegan cause for concern, the former England manager admits he is running out of time in his pursuit of fresh faces.

"My optimism gets less the nearer we get to the deadline (1st September)," he added. "I suppose if we don't get anybody, we'll just have to soldier on and wait for everybody to come back."