Chris Hughton to be offered NUFC job on permanent basis
CHRIS Hughton will be offered the manager’s job at Newcastle United on a permanent basis at a meeting with owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias later this week.
The Journal understands Hughton has already been offered the job in principle following discussions with the board last week and the meeting is intended to only finalise the terms of his contract.
The appointment appears to end all hope the club will be sold in the short term and paves the way for Ashley to take it off the market for the second time in less than a year after failing to find a buyer.
Ashley indicated over the weekend that he was willing to give Tyneside businessman Barry Moat another week to find the money to make a one off payment of £80m, although it seems that is no longer the case given the decision to hand Hughton the managerial reigns.
That means Alan Shearer will be free to look at other options as he looks to continue a managerial career which lasted just eight games at Newcastle last season. The former United skipper had suspected for weeks that Hughton would be offered the job following the Magpies good start to the season.
A source close to Shearer said: "This hasn’t come as a big surprise. It has looked as though it would happen for weeks as Ashley can’t sell the club and he didn’t want to come back to Alan and ask him to be manager after everything that has happened.
"Alan is frustrated but he appreciates Chris has done a good job in difficult circumstances. He has plenty of other things in his life to think about and he will look at other options."
+ For the full story, see Tuesday's Journal
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