EXCLUSIVE BY CRAIG HOPE: Sources close to the £300million deal being brokered by Amanda Staveley say it would be 'wrong' to make an immediate managerial change.

Jenas, who played for the Magpies in the Champions League, thinks the buyers will want to revolutionise his former side and bring back the ambition that was lacking under Ashley

The bid to take over the club is being chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, who is the defence minister. He oversaw the devastating Yemen attacks that caused a humanitarian crisis.

Arturo Vidal is reportedly set to leave Barcelona this summer on the cheap, as his contract is set to expire in June 2021. Newcastle have emerged as contenders to sign the Chilean international.

Mark Jenson is the co-founder of The Mag, now the leading independent website on all things Newcastle United. He speaks out about what it is like to support a team owned by the retail giant.

HELEN CAHILL - CITY CORRESPONDENT: Saudi fund boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan is in the final stages of taking over as chairman of Newcastle United, sources told Sportsmail.

A huge £200million will be handed to Newcastle boss Steve Bruce by the club's prospective new owners as part of an ambitious plan to return the Geordie club to Champions League contenders.

Sources have disclosed that cash has now exchanged hands - with the remainder of the balance due when the Premier League approves the change of ownership.

Longstaff, who burst onto the scene when he scored the match-winner against Manchester United, is out of contract on June 30 and talks over a new deal have stagnated in recent months.

The prospective new owners - a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund - are on the cusp of tying up a £300m that would rocket the club to the top of the financial charts.

EXCLUSIVE BY CRAIG HOPE: Mike Ashley was hours away from confirming the £300million sale of Newcastle United last week only for the Saudi owners in-waiting to insist on a delay.

EXCLUSIVE BY MARTIN SAMUEL: The deposit paid by the Saudi Arabian consortium is non-refundable, meaning Newcastle owner Ashley gets richer even if the takeover is not ratified.

Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik remains in talks over a new contract to stay at the club and reports linking to him an exit are 'only rumours', according to his agent.

According to ESPN, the club's new owners are looking to bring in a high-profile manager which will spell the end of Bruce's one-season stint at the club.

The north-east club are reportedly on the verge of being sold to a Saudi-backed consortium which involves Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for around £300million.

English football's biggest overseas broadcast partner beIN Sports have reportedly urged the Premier League to block Newcastle's proposed takeover from the Saudi Arabian-led consortium.

Pochettino was relieved of his duties at Spurs back in November, but the club continue to pay his substantial £8.5m-a-year wages, and now the Argentine is being linked with Newcastle.

Amnesty's UK director Kate Allen wrote a letter saying there were serious questions to address but Masters insisted 'due process' would take place.

A £300million buyout of the north-east club, backed by the country's public investment fund, is reportedly close to being finalised.

beIN Sports shone a light on Saudi Arabia's involvement in the piracy of matches, highlighting the Premier League's unsuccessful attempts to take legal action against satellite provider Arabsat.

The UK government have been urged by its own members to take an active role in scrutinising the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United following calls for the deal to be blocked.

Al-Rumayyan was headhunted n to run Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which is worth around $330bn and has been funding the nation's push to host a growing array of sporting events.

The Human Rights Foundation have become the latest campaign group to write to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters condemning the takeover of Newcastle.

Keegan is adored by Newcastle fans having made 78 appearances for the club while enjoying two separate spells as manager, having nearly guided them to Premier League gold in the 1990s.

The Napoli centre-back has been heavily linked with long-term admirers Manchester United, but Newcastle are also reportedly preparing to make an offer to the Senegal international.

The Saudi consortium's proposed takeover means that they are set to hold an 80 per cent stake in the club, putting American Henry Mauriss' attempt to buy Newcastle on the back burner.

EXCLUSIVE: BeIN Sports have written to the Premier League urging chief executive Richard Masters to block the £300million deal for Newcastle, citing illegal streaming of matches in Saudi Arabia.

Newcastle United are reportedly prepared to make Mauricio Pochettino one of the best-paid managers in the world, should the impending takeover go through.

Newcastle's Valentino Lazaro has slammed the Premier League and club executives over their plan to introduce blanket 30 per cent cuts to players' wages amid the coronavirus crisis.

It appears that current owner Mike Ashley is edging forever closer to selling the club to a bid led by Amanda Staveley which is backed by the wealth of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

It is the news Newcastle fans have been dreaming about for years - a big-money takeover and the possible departure of Mike Ashley. But how does a deal actually happen? Our expert reveals all.

First-team players are expected to return to training next week, providing Government's formal review and Premier League shareholders' meeting agree to finish the current campaign.

Newcastle's first team stars have launched a bid to save boss Steve Bruce with the club's prospective new owners keen to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as manager, according to The Sun.

The manager was sacked in November and was paid the same fee in compensation, but part of the agreement means any club wishing to employ him within six months has to repay Spurs that amount.

The £300m deal is awaiting the League's approval but that process is understood to have been held up given the complexity of broadcast piracy allegations against the Saudi state.

The Magpies are the subject of a £300million takeover bid backed by Saudi's Public Investment Fund, and if that is ratified the club would become one of the richest in Europe.

Assuming the takeover goes through, Newcastle's spending power would be transformed with former Tottenham manager Pochettino seen as the man to deliver a potential title challenge.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN MOHALI: England appeared to be losing their battle to stay in with a chance of series success after Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin helped India dominate day three.

Haseeb Hameed and Joe Root's admirable resistance proved too little too late as England lost the third Test by eight wickets. Here, Sportsmail's Lawrence Booth takes a look at the talking points.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: England conceded their highest total in 983 Tests stretching all the way back to March 1877. India’s 759 for seven beat the 751 for five by West Indies in Antigua in April 2004.

Joe Root became only the fifth England player to make a hundred in his first innings as Test captain. Root's runs were all the more necessary after another England top-order collapse.

TOP SPIN AT THE TEST: Ben Stokes became the sixth England player to appear on the Lord’s honours boards both for scoring a century and now taking five or more wickets in an innings.

TOP SPIN SPECIAL: England’s Ashes hopes are long gone, but here Sportsmail looks at five final Ashes Tests which were ‘dead rubbers’ but had ramifications beyond the result of the game.

England's first Test with India is on a knife-edge heading into day four at Edgbaston. Here, Sportsmail's LAWRENCE BOOTH takes a look at the major talking points from the day's play.

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN KANDY: England clinched a series victory over Sri Lanka on Sunday morning after taking the final three minutes in little over half an hour.

The Liverpool left-back was in the side which were brushed aside 4-0 by the Red Devils in a friendly at Hampden Park in September last year.

STEPHEN McGOWAN AT THE KING BAUDOUIN STADIUM: As manager of Scotland Steve Clarke can't wave his arms and turn water into wine. Coaching is his thing, not miracles.

Defenders are used to trailing in Eden Hazard's wake and according to Belgium manager Roberto Martinez the forward's backside plays a major factor in that.

According to The Sun , Magpies owner Mike Ashley is determined to land a manager with experience in the Premier League and Martinez fits that mould.

Antonio Conte began life as Inter manager in style, romping to a 4-0 win thanks to goals from Marcelo Brozovic, Antonio Candreva and debut strikes from Stefano Sensi and Romelu Lukaku.