The 4 Managers That Newcastle Are Targeting to Replace Steve Bruce Revealed

Newcastle's prospective new owners have reportedly compiled a shortlist of four managers to replace current Magpies boss Steve Bruce.

Bruce has only been at the club since July when he replaced the outgoing Rafa Benitez. His appointment was widely unpopular at the time but he has slowly worked his way into the good books of the St James' Park faithful this season.

Despite this, it is understood that if the club is taken over by a consortium backed by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, Bruce will be given his marching orders in lieu of a high profile name.

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has revealed the four managers that the club are targeting in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

"What I know for sure [is] that [Mauricio] Pochettino, Rafa Benitez and [Massimiliano] Allegri are the three names on the table for Newcastle," he said.

"They want to convince one of them, or [Julian] Nagelsmann. Of course, as ambitious as they are, they want one of those four actually. Nagelsmann as well.

“I believe Rafa Benitez hasn’t got a call yet, I know that Pochettino is aware of the interest. In the case of Allegri, ambitious as well, but of course without experience in the Premier League.

"Nagelsmann is very happy at the moment in Germany with a club that are fighting for the title and for that reason doesn’t want to go anywhere either.”

The RB Leipzig boss is not the only manager on the shortlist that is currently employed. Benitez is in charge at Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang, though he could be tempted back to Newcastle by their new owners' hefty war chest.

The Magpies are not just looking for a new manager, they have also been linked with some high profile players since news of the takeover first surfaced. Philippe Coutinho, Edinson Cavani and Gareth Bale have all been touted for a move to Tyneside in the summer, even if that's a wildly unrealistic scenario at this stage.