NEWCASTLE UNITED are on the verge of marking new head coach Steve Bruce’s appointment by delivering him a record-busting £36m striker, Joelinton.

Just hours after it was officially announced that Bruce had signed a three-year deal at St James’ Park and he was heading to China, where the Magpies started pre-season with 4-0 thumping from Wolves in the Asia Trophy, major progress was made in their pursuit of Joelinton.

The 24-year-old has been on Newcastle’s radar for months and Bruce has learned the player is in talks aimed at finalising a move to the North-East, where Rafa Benitez had hoped to have him in his squad for next season.

There is still work to be done for the deal to be concluded but sources in Germany claim that a deal is now imminent, with Hoffenheim having accepted a 40m euros offer.

That amounts to around £36m and would break the £21m club record transfer fee paid by Newcastle to Atlanta United for Miguel Almiron in January.

Hoffenheim have omitted Joelinton from the squad for pre-season and in a Tweet they admitted: “Joe is not there (with the squad), he is in concrete negotiations with a Premier League club. It may be that he leaves us.”

That club is Newcastle who are in negotiations over the personal terms. It would represent a significant chunk of the £50m that Bruce expects to have at his disposal to spend on one purchase, although the £30m sale of Ayoze Perez to Leicester should have helped the move too.

Joelinton would be a signing to bring some excitement back to the fans, although many of them remain hugely dubious and critical about the club’s failure to keep Benitez and then replace him with Bruce.

The unrest among the fans has led to calls for a boycott of the Premier League opener against Arsenal and many have not renewed their season tickets at this stage.

Bruce’s appointment also led to Sheffield Wednesday, where he quit his job on Monday, issuing a statement threatening legal action for the way the switch was conducted.

Bruce had been in charge of the Owls for six months. After tendering his resignation on Monday the two clubs had discussed a compensation package. It is understood the Owls wanted around £4m.

A statement on the Championship club’s official website said: “The club is disappointed to learn via public statement issued by Newcastle United that it has appointed former Sheffield Wednesday staff Steve Bruce, Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence.

“Regardless of the fact that the staff resigned from their positions with the club on Monday, there remains outstanding legal issues to be resolved between the club and the staff and Newcastle United. The club is currently considering its position and taking the appropriate legal advice. No further comment will be made by the club concerning this matter.”

That arrived moments after Newcastle confirmed Bruce was on his way to Shanghai to join up with the squad for the second Asia Trophy game against West Ham this weekend.

The former Sunderland manager is joined by coaches Agnew and Clemence. Bruce said: "I’m delighted and incredibly proud to be appointed as head coach of Newcastle United. This is my boyhood club and it was my dad’s club, so this is a very special moment for me and my family.

“There is a huge challenge ahead of us, but it’s one that my staff and I are ready for. We’ll roll our sleeves up and we’ll be giving it everything from the off to ensure supporters have a successful team that they can be proud of.”

Newcastle's managing director Lee Charnley described how and why they have opted for Bruce despite criticism from sections of the club's fans given his previous association with Sunderland.

Charnley said: “Steve has a deep affection for Newcastle United and we are very pleased that a coach with his vast experience and connections to the club and city has joined us.

“Steve knows what this club means to supporters and to the region and he will put his heart and soul into leading our talented group of players with the full support of our staff.

“The hard work for Steve and his team starts immediately and we will be fully prepared for the challenge of a new Premier League season.

“I would place on record my thanks to Ben Dawson, Neil Redfearn and our medical and support staff for the way in which they have worked together to oversee the start of our pre-season preparations.”

Bruce and his staff were en route to China when Newcastle’s first pre-season friendly ended in a heavy defeat to Wolves when the scale of the task facing the new head coach was brutally laid bare.

Federico Fernandez, the Newcastle defender, called on fans angry with Bruce's arrival to get behind the new man.

"We are looking forward to working with him, he is a man of great experience, we are thinking positive," said the Argentine. "I understand the fans' situation. For us, we want to work, we want to do better as a team ... to show the fans and everyone that we can compete."

Diogo Jota struck twice in the first half either side of a Morgan Gibs-White effort before Thomas Allan headed into his net in the second half to help Chinese-owned Wolves defeat a demoralised Newcastle.