The Toon manager says he does not want to bring in any player to St James' Park who has as much baggage as the ones he already has. And with Graeme Souness failing in his quest to quell the tide of unrest in the dressing room ... and suffering for it with the sack ... Roeder says "thanks, but no thanks" to the City midfielder.
Reports over the weekend and talk on Tyneside have suggested that United are ready to make a cut-price £1.5m offer for Barton, who has another 12 months of his contract to run at the City of Manchester Stadium.
But Roeder insists that this is not the case.