Steve Bruce ‘to be given until end of season to prove to new Newcastle owners he can deliver Europe’ with Poch linked
STEVE BRUCE is reportedly set 'to be given until end of season to prove to new Newcastle owners he can deliver Europe' with Mauricio Pochettino linked.
Last Tuesday, SunSport revealed controversial owner Mike Ashley is on the verge of selling the Magpies for a knockdown £300million to a Saudi group led by Amanda Staveley.
The Toon's new wealthy backers will become the Premier League’s richest owners once their takeover at St James' Park is completed.
Official paperwork shows a deal is close with a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium, involving Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Since news of the takeover emerged, several managers have been linked with replacing Bruce at St James' Park including, Max Allegri, Mauricio Pochettino and former Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez.
According to the Saudi supremos are yet to approach a potential new boss and feel Bruce should be given at least until the end of the season to stake his claim.
The former centre-back was appointed by Ashley at the start of the season but his arrival at St James’ Park was seen as an underwhelming choice to replace Benitez.
The 59-year-old has guided the Magpies to 13th in the table but ex-Toon boss Sam Allardyce recently expressed fears that the Magpies boss could be axed under the new owners.
Despite leading Tottenham to last season’s Champions League final, Poch was dismissed in November after four-and-a-half years and replaced by Jose Mourinho.
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester United have since been linked with an approach for the former defender but a return to the Premier League appears to be top of his agenda.
Allegri, 47, has been out of work since leaving Juventus at the end of the 2018-19 season and was linked with Manchester United earlier in the season but could now take on the top job at St James’ Park.
The move would just be phase one of the North-East giants’ desperate scheme to get back to the top of English football and deliver Europe.
Benitez is hugely popular among Toon fans and would reportedly “jump at the chance” to return to Newcastle under the new Saudi owners.
The 59-year-old split from the Toon last summer after a fall-out with Mike Ashley and Co.
But the Spaniard is close to Staveley and – despite claiming to be happy as boss of Chinese side Dalian Yilfang - would love his old job back, according to reports.
The odds on Allegri becoming Newcastle’s next manager were slashed dramatically by bookies.
The Italian – who won five Serie A titles in his five seasons at Juventus – is now second-favourite at 6/1 with Paddy Power to take the role.
Benitez, is runaway favourite at 3/1.
Steven Gerrard (12/1), Sean Dyche, Roberto Martinez and Pochettino (all 14/1) and Eddie Howe (16/1) are the others in contention.
But at 4/11 it looks most likely Steve Bruce will NOT be in charge for Newcastle‘s first game of the 2020-21 season – whenever it starts.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the head of the Saudi Public Investment Fund and a close associate of Mohammed bin Salman, will become new chairman – with his powerful friend also backing the Magpies’ takeover.
Following the deal’s completion, the Saudi consortium will own 80 per cent of the club – with Staveley and the Reuben brothers evenly splitting the remaining 20 per cent.