Although Aston Villa are still sniffing about, talking about a transfer but not producing the money, United are set to reject any offers until the Toon manager sees what he has at his disposal.
No-one is saying the ex-Leeds player is another Owen, but he can also lead the line as well as play out wide. Whether he has the quality to make a top Premiership striker, who knows, but we won't learn sanything until he is given the chance.
Roeder: "The great thing about James is that he is very versatile - he can play wide right or wide left or through the middle in the case of an emergency. He is very much an offensive player who has excellent energy.
"James did very well at Aston Villa and that will have done him the world of good, with a year's experience of Premiership football under his belt. I have met him over the summer and have enjoyed his company.
"His biggest concern was not getting first-team football. And while there are no guarantees, that is what you want to see in a player. He is under pressure to play well and get into the first team, but that can be a great motivator. There is nothing better than competition for places."