Mauricio Pochettino, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss, is the favourite to be replace Steve Bruce as Newcastle United boss.

With the club on the verge of being taken over, with Mike Ashley selling up to a Saudi Arabia backed consortium which would proper the club to the top of the Premier League rich-list, Pochettino has been heavily linked with the job.

The Argentinian left Spurs last November and while Bruce is likely to remain as manager until the end of the season, whenever that may be, Pochettino is high in the thoughts of the likely new owners.

If they can’t entice Pochettino to the club, then a move for former boss Rafa Benitez is likely.

Graeme Souness has warned the appointment of a "bigger name" as Newcastle manager will not guarantee success.

Souness, a former Newcastle boss knows what it takes to manage at St James’ Park and he told The Football Show on Sky Sports: "I think if the takeover does happen, I think Steve Bruce should be [in the dugout]. I think they should give him a crack as he's done a fantastic job up there with limited resources under pressure all the time.

"I've been in that job and it's difficult. I think he's performed really well, but as is the way in football, new people coming in will want their own men and that will be right across the football club.

"They'll want to do things differently, and I would imagine they'll be wanting someone who's deemed to be a sexier name, a bigger name. Someone who's maybe done a bit more in the game. That doesn't guarantee them success.

"As always, it will come down to what players they'll be able to attract there, and if they get a big budget to work with. I still think attracting the best players up to Newcastle will be difficult unless you pay them way beyond the going rate."

Newcastle’s head of recruitment Steve Nickson has been taken off the government furlough scheme and returned to work.

The chances of the deal being completed sooner rather than later took on a new level when documentation lodged with Companies House revealed a potential new club director.

Companies House documents show that Bander bin Mogren, who is the chief operating officer of Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was added as a director of NCUK Investment Ltd on April 9.

NCUK Investment is a shell company established in January by Yasir al-Rumayyan, the director of the PIF, as a platform to facilitate share transfer from Mike Ashley.

Bin Mogren is in line to join the St James’ Park board. The key documents were registered on April 9, which is believed to be when the Premier League began their owners’ and directors’ test.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund – which is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – is also joined by the Reuben Brothers, who own Newcastle Racecourse as well as a number of other business interests on Tyneside, along with Amanda Staveley. PIF would own 80 per cent of the club, with the other parties both enjoying ten per cent stakes.