PATRICK VIERIA is set to meet Newcastle United officials later this week to discuss the club's vacant head coach position.

Vieira's candidature for the role emerged in the wake of a Tyneside summit meeting on Thursday, which saw Mike Ashley meet sporting director Lee Charnley and chief scout Graham Carr at St James' Park.

The trio discussed transfer issues, and also debated how best to drive forward the recruitment of a permanent head coach.

John Carver will not be offered the opportunity to remain in the position he filled in the second half of last season, and Newcastle officials are concentrating on a three-man shortlist that features Vieira, Steve McClaren, who still has strong support within the Magpies hierarchy, and a third candidate, who is believed to be former Swansea City boss Michael Laudrup. 

Vieira, a three-time Premier League winner during his playing days with Arsenal, moved into Manchester City’s backroom set-up when he hung up his boots in 2011, initially working as a football development executive before moving into his current role, which sees him preside over the reserves set-up at the Etihad.

He has no experience of frontline coaching or management, but his lengthy playing achievements would earn him instant respect within the St James' Park dressing room and sources in Manchester claim he is keen to broaden his horizons by moving out of the backroom set-up at City.

Charnley is keen to hold face-to-face talks with the Frenchman as quickly as possible, but will also be making renewed contact with McClaren, who has indicated a willingness to take over on Tyneside following his dismissal from Derby County at the start of last week.