Alan Shearer set for Newcastle job as takeover nears

16 June 2009 11:18
Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias has claimed Shearer could take the helm this week as a takeover bid for at the newly-relegated Championship club apparently approaches. With the club up for sale, Llambias has made it clear that he will not be appointed by the current regime but prospective new owners will have the final say on Shearer's future. Any parties interested in paying the £100 million asking price for Newcastle have until Wednesday to prove they have the funds required and that could pave the way for Shearer to take over as early as Thursday, although nothing seems certain. 'There could be some movement regarding Alan Shearer at the end of this week or early next week,' said Llambias who runs the club for sports retail tycoon Mike Ashley. 'The data room will be open on Wednesday, which will allow the groups who have proved they have the money to buy the club to look at the books. Nobody has been able to do that yet because the data room hasn't been opened. 'We will not be making any decision on Alan as manager, that is not up to us, that is down to the groups who are buying the club. If they want to appoint him, then it's up to them. 'We will speak to them about it. If they do want Alan then something could be done in the next few days. That's where we are at this stage and everything is ongoing.' Sources close to Shearer say he believes there is now light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. 'Alan has been told that Thursday could be a very big day in terms of his and Newcastle's future, so it seems things are starting to move in the right direction,' one source said. 'He has been incredibly frustrated by the delay because he wanted to get straight into things as manager and start preparing the club for a bid to make an immediate return to the Premier League. 'Everything has been on hold for the last few weeks because Alan has been left in limbo while the club is being sold. That process looks to be coming to an important stage – so this week could be an exciting one.' Shearer, 38, took charge of Newcastle on an interim basis towards the end of last season but was unable to stave off relegation from the Premier League. Ashley had planned to hand the former Newcastle and England skipper a four-year contract despite the club's demise but his went cold on the idea as he decided to put the club up for sale. The off-field uncertainty is already undermining Newcastle's hopes of a winning promotion at the first attempt with clubs able to start planning for the new season in earnest on Wednesday when the Championship fixtures are released. Newcastle's players are due to report back for pre-season training on Wednesday, July 1, but there are still no friendlies organised ahead of the new campaign. If Shearer remains on the outside, Newcastle coach Chris Hughton will take charge of first-team affairs despite his poor record of one win in ten games at the helm in two spells last season.

Source: Telegraph