NEWCASTLE UNITED intend to finalise their managerial shortlist in the next 24 hours, with Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta both set to feature on the list of candidates to replace Rafael Benitez.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is also being seriously considered by the Newcastle hierarchy, although former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has ruled out a move to St James’ Park.

Lee Charnley has spent the last couple of days assessing his options in the wake of Benitez’s departure, and hopes to begin a process of more formal interviews next week.

Both Vieira and Arteta are regarded as strong contenders, although it is not yet clear whether either will be willing to move to Tyneside amid ongoing uncertainty over Mike Ashley’s future plans.

Vieira is currently manager of Nice, having guided the French side to a seventh-place finish in last season’s Ligue 1 table.

He was interviewed by Newcastle officials in the summer of 2015, but was overlooked as the Magpies appointed Steve McClaren.

Since then, he has spent three years honing his managerial skills with MLS side New York City, with last season having been his first in charge of Nice.

Like Newcastle, Nice are currently going through a period of off-field uncertainty, but sources in France claim the club’s current hierarchy will be extremely reluctant to lose Vieira, who is regarded as one of the most promising young coaches in France.

The 43-year-old began his coaching career as part of the academy set-up at Manchester City, but has no previous experience of managing in England. However, both Charnley and Ashley are willing to appoint someone who has not previously managed in the Premier League.

The same caveat applies to Arteta, who has even less frontline experience than Vieira. The Spaniard retired from playing in 2016 and immediately joined the coaching staff at Manchester City, where he has risen to the role of assistant coach under Pep Guardiola.

He is an integral part of Guardiola’s backroom set-up, but is understood to be keen to step out in his own right and take on a managerial position.

While he is under contract at the Etihad Stadium, Newcastle would not have to pay a large sum to extract him from his current deal, something that could appeal to Ashley when alternatives such as Burnley boss Sean Dyche could cost up to £10m to appoint. It is unlikely that Manchester City would fight to keep Arteta if he expressed a desire to leave his current position in order to further his career.

Rangers would react rather differently if Newcastle made a formal approach for Gerrard, with the Ibrox club adamant they do not want to lose the former Liverpool midfielder.

Earlier this week, Gerrard distanced himself from speculation linking him with a possible vacancy at Derby County if Frank Lampard joins Chelsea, but a Premier League position might make more appeal to the 39-year-old.

However, Gerrard would almost certainly speak to Benitez if Newcastle were to seek permission to speak to him formally, and his former boss at Liverpool would hardly deliver a glowing endorsement of the Ashley regime.

At the other end of the managerial spectrum to Gerrard and Vieira, Wenger was one of the elder statesmen linked with Newcastle earlier this week.

The Frenchman has been out of work since leaving Arsenal more than a year ago, but while he is warming to the idea of returning to the Premier League eventually, he claims he is not yet ready to consider a new post.

When asked whether there was any chance of a return to the dug-out this summer, Wenger said: “Not in the near future, no. I still am not ready to go back. I thought ‘yes’, but I don’t think at the moment I will come back.

“I am more open now than a year ago to talk about that, but I cannot tell you that in the next two or three days I will go into management again.

“I took a little bit of distance and I enjoyed it. I worked for 35 years without any interruption, so I think I deserved a little rest.”

Meanwhile, Newcastle officials insist they have not received a formal approach for Sean Longstaff, despite mounting suggestions that Manchester United are on the verge of tabling a £25m bid for the midfielder.

Having completed the signing of Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Longstaff is the next promising youngster in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sights as he attempts to overhaul the squad he inherited from Jose Mourinho last season.

Newcastle are aware of Manchester United’s interest, but Longstaff is set to report to pre-season training as planned next week, when newly-appointed Under-23s boss Neil Redfearn is currently due to take charge of the Magpies’ preparations for the new campaign.

Longstaff’s recovery from the knee injury that curtailed his breakthrough campaign last season will be assessed, with Newcastle’s medical staff expected to draw up a tailor-made programme to ease him back into action.