Mike Ashley set to hand Steve Bruce new deal - Report

According to an 'exclusive' from the Daily Star, Mike Ashley is set to hand Steve Bruce a new three-year deal.

The report states that the NUFC owner is happy to back the 60-year-old 'for as long as he keeps Newcastle United in the Premier League', being keen to reward him for last season's 12th place finish.

Bruce's current deal expires in 2022. He remains an unpopular figure amongst Toon fans, with supporters chanting "you're just a **** Steve McClaren" during our 1-1 draw with Rotherham earlier this week.

Despite this alleged new deal, Aaron Stokes' piece warns that Bruce remains stuck with a budget of around £10m this summer, stating that any 'big name' permanent deals will be funded by player sales.

On the takeover front, they claim Mike Ashley remains 'confident' a Saudi-backed takeover WILL be passed next year, with this coming after the arbitration case was delayed until 'early 2022.'

A new deal for Bruce would be another slap in the face for us fans, yet it's entirely predictable from Ashley - a man who is happy to see Newcastle get dragged through the mud, as long as we can remain in the Premier League on the cheap.

You can read the piece in full below: