But owner Ashley is currently preoccupied as he looks to sell off the club, with the Amanda Staveley-led bid from PCP Capital Partners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Reuben brothers still not dead in the water.

Though the Saudi Arabia-backed consortium withdrew their bid to take over last July after being made to wait the best of part of three months for league approval which never arrived.

The Independent add that both parties are still open to doing business after a £300million takeover had been agreed in April last year.

Sports Direct bigwig Ashley has been looking to part ways with Newcastle for several years but has yet to see a deal go through, with the Staveley-fronted group the most likely current buyers.

Ashley has issued arbitration proceedings with the Premier League and is pursuing legal action over their role in the failed Saudi bid last year.

Newcastle fans are meanwhile still frustrated with Ashley at Benitez’s departure after the club failed to agree a new contract with the much-loved Spaniard, partly due to the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Chelsea manager’s frustrations at a lack of freedom in the transfer market.

Should Bruce eventually lose his job, there will likely be clamour for Benitez to be brought back to England with the 60-year-old currently working in Asia with Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional.