NEWCASTLE UNITED officials will meet Patrick Vieira within the next 48 hours to discuss the club’s vacant head coach position, but Steve McClaren remains the preferred candidate to take over at St James’ Park.

After a week in which the Magpies’ search for a new permanent head coach was effectively put on hold, there is a determination that the next seven days will see the process all but concluded.

Mike Ashley met sporting director Lee Charnley and chief scout Graham Carr at St James’ Park on Thursday for a lengthy meeting that addressed the issue of a new head coach as well as firming up recruitment plans for the forthcoming transfer window.

John Carver will not be offered an opportunity to remain in the interim position he filled for the second half of last season, although he will be offered the chance to remain on Newcastle’s coaching staff when he returns from holiday later this month.

Instead, Charnley has been instructed to look elsewhere, and Vieira’s candidature emerged in the second half of last week after he expressed an interest in leaving his current role as the head of Manchester City’s elite development squad in order to gain more experience in a senior position.

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

The Frenchman has long been considered a potential future manager of Manchester City, but it is understood that senior figures within the City boardroom set-up have suggested it would be beneficial for him to work elsewhere for a period before potentially returning to the Etihad to take over as boss.

Despite his lack of Premier League experience, his status within the game and lofty coaching reputation make him an appealing candidate to the Magpies. He would be willing to work within the confines of the club’s current structure, and his legendary status within French football would instantly endear him to the significant French playing contingent on Newcastle’s books.

He is expected to hold face-to-face talks with Charnley either today or tomorrow, but McClaren will also be approached for fresh talks and, at this stage, the former England and Middlesbrough boss remains the strong front runner in the process.

Charnley has championed McClaren’s cause for the best part of 12 months, and even though the Yorkshireman blotted his copybook when he rebuffed Newcastle’s approaches in early January and then refused to step in for the final three games of last season, he is still held in extremely high regard within the corridors of power at St James’.

Having been dismissed from his former role at Derby County at the start of last week, McClaren is determined to return to frontline management as quickly as possible and regards the Newcastle job as one of the biggest he could ever take on.

He is also expected to meet Charnley in person this week, although previous discussions mean the Newcastle hierarchy are already well aware of his financial and technical demands.  With any compensation issues now removed from the equation following his departure from the Ipro Stadium, it would be a relatively easy process to install McClaren well ahead of the start of pre-season training.

Michael Laudrup is understood to be the third person still under consideration, although his presence on the shortlist owes much to his availability and desire to make a swift return to the Premier League following a brief spell in charge of Qatari side Lekhwiya.

Newcastle’s previous interest in French duo Remi Garde and Christophe Galtier has cooled significantly, with the events of the last few months having persuaded Ashley that some knowledge of the Premier League should be a prerequisite for whoever is appointed this summer.

As well as discussing the identity of their new head coach, Ashley, Charnley and Carr also examined recruitment issues last week. The decision to release Jonas Gutierrez and Ryan Taylor was expected, although it remains to be seen whether Sammy Ameobi takes up the offer of a new deal, which reflects a reluctance to allow the home-grown midfielder to leave for a minimal compensation fee.

Newcastle’s recruitment team are looking to sign around six players this summer, with the acquisition of a proven striker a priority. They have opted to shelve their interest in Anderlecht’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, but continue to covet Charlie Austin, who will be leaving QPR following their relegation to the Championship.

Last week’s meeting also resulted in a firm insistence that Moussa Sissoko will not be allowed to leave this summer despite mounting interest from the continent. Sissoko continues to be linked with a possible move to Paris St Germain, although he was quick to commit himself to Tyneside following the final game of the season.

“I still have four years on my contract and I am very happy to be staying here with Newcastle,” said Sissoko. “I am going to have some time off, and then after that I will be joining up with the national team. I will be back in Newcastle in July and I am still here and still happy.

“This is a big club with good players and fantastic fans. Maybe we have to play with more confidence next season. If we do that, there is no reason why we cannot finish in the top eight because we have a very good team.”