STEVE BRUCE will be confirmed as Newcastle United’s new manager in the next 48 hours – and is set to sanction the signing of Brazilian striker Joelinton in one of his first moves as Magpies boss.

Bruce tendered his resignation at Sheffield Wednesday yesterday morning, along with his assistants, Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence, in an attempt to speed up his switch to St James’ Park.

Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley is understood to have agreed a compensation package of around £4m with Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri, although the finer points of the agreement are still be completely finalised.

Once that has happened, Newcastle will be able to confirm Bruce’s appointment, with the former Sunderland boss set to sign a long-term deal on Tyneside.

Neither Newcastle nor Sheffield Wednesday were making an official comment on the situation last night, but both clubs are understandably keen to reach a swift resolution as they plan for the start of their respective seasons.

Newcastle play their opening game of the Premier League Asia Trophy against Wolves in Nanjing tomorrow, and at this stage, it is unlikely that Bruce will travel to China to join up with the squad.

It had been hoped that the 58-year-old would be able to take charge of Newcastle’s two games in the Far East, but visa issues mean there is now little point in him leaving the country. Instead, Ben Dawson and Neil Redfearn will preside over the Asia Trophy campaign, having led training in Nanjing’s Olympic Sports Centre yesterday.

Instead of heading to China, Bruce will spend the rest of the week getting to grips with the myriad of problems facing him on Tyneside.

The North-Easterner is aware of the intense negativity that has accompanied news of his impending appointment, with claims yesterday that Newcastle have sold around 8,000 fewer season tickets than at the same stage of last summer.

The response to Bruce’s arrival on social media has been overwhelmingly negative, although sources close to the Corbridge-born boss insist he is confident he can win the supporters round by achieving success on the pitch. As a boyhood Newcastle fan, Bruce regards the latest chance to take over at St James’ as an opportunity he cannot turn down, having twice rebuffed the Magpies’ advances during his time in charge of Birmingham City.

He has discussed the need to strengthen the current squad with Charnley, and has been assured he will be given the same financial support that would have offered to Benitez. Newcastle’s managing director has previously spoken of a £50m spending pot this summer, although that sum should have been swelled by the £30m that was received from Leicester City for Ayoze Perez.

Newcastle banked another £1.5m yesterday, with Joselu having completed his move to Spanish side Alaves.

Joselu’s departure, along with the exit of Salomon Rondon, who is set to re-join Rafael Benitez at Dalian Yifang, means Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto are currently the only senior strikers on Newcastle’s books.

That is an unsustainable situation, but it should be at least partially ameliorated by the arrival of Joelinton, with Newcastle officials already having agreed the framework of a financial package with German side Hoffenheim.

Hoffenheim have previously valued Joelinton at around €45m, and while Newcastle are not believed to be paying that price for the 22-year-old, his capture should break the transfer record that was set when Miguel Almiron joined Newcastle from Atlanta United in January.

Born in Alianca, in eastern Brazil, Joelinton spent his formative years with Sport Recife before moving to Europe to join Hoffenheim on a five-year contract in 2015.

He spent two years on loan at Rapid Vienna, but impressed in the Bundesliga last season, scoring 11 goals in 30 starts in all competitions as Hoffenheim finished ninth in the German top-flight.

He has been capped at Brazil at a junior level, but is yet to make his senior debut, and has been one of Newcastle’s key scouting targets for at least a couple of years.

If his deal goes through, he is likely to be joined on Tyneside by Kyle Scott, with the 21-year-old midfielder poised to join Newcastle as a free agent following his release from Chelsea.

Scott, who is a United States Under-20 international, is set to sign a three-year deal on Tyneside, having made one senior appearance for Chelsea before he was released at the end of last month.

He was a regular starter for Chelsea’s Under-23s, and spent part of last season on loan at Dutch side Telstar.

Bruce will not want to lose any more senior players following the departure of Perez and Joselu, but Italian side AC Milan are lining up a bid for Newcastle centre-half Fabian Schar.

Milan officials are understood to have sounded out Schar’s representatives about a possible switch to Serie A, and are set to discuss the 27-year-old when they meet to finalise their summer recruitment plans later this week.

AC Milan boss Marco Giampaolo is keen to sign a new centre-half before the start of the new Serie A season, but Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has blocked his attempts to land Dejan Lovren.

As a result, Giampaolo has instructed his recruitment team to switch their attention to Schar, with the centre-half having impressed during his first season in the Premier League.

Schar joined Newcastle in a £3m move from Deportivo La Coruna last summer, signing a three-year deal, and made 24 Premier League appearances last term.