Newcastle United have been rebuffed by Manchester United in their attempt to sign defender Wes Brown - but Sir Alex Ferguson has not ruled out a deal taking place if the player is interested.

Brown, 28, has rejected the offer of a new contract at Old Trafford and Sam Allardyce, the under-fire Newcastle manager, is interested in bringing him to St James' Park to strengthen a faltering backline.

But while Ferguson is eager to retain Brown's services, he is also ready to listen to the player's views on a possible move. "There was an enquiry from Newcastle about Wes and we turned it down," Ferguson said. "The matter rests with Wes and his agent. We'll just wait and see what happens. Our offer is still there - it's now up to Wes."

The player is a free agent in the summer and is being courted by a series of potential buyers with Roy Keane, the Sunderland manager and Brown's former team-mate, also thought to be among his admirers.

Brown, who has 14 England caps, has been a regular in the United side this season providing cover for the injured Gary Neville.

Allardyce, whose side head to Stoke on Sunday for a difficult FA Cup third-round tie, finds himself under intense pressure after a run of four Barclays Premier League games which has yielded just a single point. Chris Mort, the Newcastle chairman, expects signings during the January transfer window, but has hinted that the club's major investment will come in the summer.

However, with Habib Beye and Abdoulaye Faye, the Newcastle defenders, among four players heading off to the African Nations Cup next week, the versatile Brown would be a more than useful acquisition.

Allardyce is also maintaining his interest in Tal Ben Haim, whom he tried to sign on a free transfer from his old club during the close-season, but was beaten to him by Chelsea. The Israel international has found his chances limited at Stamford Bridge, although has been involved in recent games because of the absence of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho. Chelsea are believed to have placed a £2 million price tag on his head.