AMID renewed speculation that owner Mike Ashley could still sell Newcastle United, a second day of talks aimed at making Alan Shearer the club’s next permanent manager ended without conclusion yesterday.

After arriving for further discussions with managing director Derek Llambias in the morning, Shearer left the club’s Darsley Park training complex at around 4pm yesterday without any confirmation of any agreement.

The situation is delicate, with Shearer still waiting for answers on certain demands he made, which are thought to centre on the amount of money he will be handed to rebuild a squad that will be torn apart this summer.

After leaving the Benton training HQ he does not know when he will receive the assurances he is seeking, or whether they will arrive at all, although it is thought negotiations will continue.

Shearer – said to be hopeful that things will still happen to his liking – has already received assurances that he will be given complete control of future recruitment plans.

And he has also been told he can bring in his own backroom team once the necessary cuts have been made.

But Ashley and Shearer still appear to be apart in their views regarding the best way to reduce the costs while trying to assemble a squad capable of bouncing back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

And in a further twist last night, Shearer is likely to ask Ashley and Llambias when they next talk just how determined the club’s owner is to keep hold of the club this summer.

Keith Harris, chairman of investment bank Seymour Pierce, was in Newcastle on Tuesday, as Ashley and Shearer spent eight hours trying to thrash out a deal.

And while Harris claims he had “categorically not” visited the region to talk to representatives of a local consortium looking to buy the club he is waiting to hear whether his services will be required by Ashley again.

Seymour Pierce were initially asked to try to sell the club last September after angry fans turned on Ashley following Kevin Keegan’s departure, with consortia from Nigeria and South Africa discussed as potential buyers without a firm offer arriving.

Ashley is keen to appoint Shearer on a full-time basis, but with Harris’ appearance complicating matters it is clear there are still more rounds of discussions yet required.

While those continue it has been confirmed that defender Steven Taylor will be heading for this summer’s European Under-21s Championships.

Taylor will travel to Sweden on Sunday with Stuart Pearce’s squad along with two Middlesbrough players, Adam Johnson and Andrew Taylor.

And when Taylor returns he is hoping Shearer will still be leading the club in the Championship, despite winning just one of his eight matches in charge.

Taylor said: “The club means so much to him. The fans love him, and he was hurt like we were about relegation.

He has been unbelievable.

“The only one person who I think can take us back up is Alan. He has been fantastic to work with. Let’s hope we get the chance to work with him again.”