Shearer - Vialli managerial dream team eyed by potential Newcastle owners
Published 00:00 09/07/09 By By Alan Nixon
Newcastle United's wannabe owners plan to put Alan Shearer and Gianluca Vialli together in a managerial dream team.
The Far East bidders, who are pushing to close a deal with Mike Ashley today, have already decided they want Shearer to be boss, but the move for Vialli as director of football is a surprise.
Vialli has been out of football since 2002 following a 12-month spell at Watford. His first job in management was as Chelsea boss from February 1998 to September 2000.
Insiders claim the new owners would make £25million available straight away for signings.
Ashley is in advanced talks with a couple of possible buyers and the identity of the Far East group is still being kept secret, with a leading Malaysian businessman and Hong Kong financiers working on the £85m buy-out.
Shearer could be tempted to return after his bid to keep Newcastle in the Premier League ended in failure. He would also be happy with Vialli in a senior executive role.
Money for transfers would be a major lift for the Geordies and could help turn round their fortunes and get them out of the Championship in a hurry.
If the Far East group succeed and Shearer is given the job there would also be massive shake-up of the squad, with several players going and many new faces arriving.
Ashley is prepared to sell, with the buyers also having to pick up loans that are due to him and the bank.
That makes the whole takeover valued at more that £200m.
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