'It's dragging on and on!': Steve Bruce reacts to Newcastle United takeover delay

The Premier League has been considering a proposed £300million deal since April amid objections from beIN Sports and Amnesty International.

And fans are impatiently waiting for a decision on the takeover, which would be 80% funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

Bruce, United’s head coach, has tried to stay focused on the Premier League’s restart.

However, the 59-year-old has hinted at his own frustration at the uncertainty ahead of this evening’s behind-closed-doors game against second-bottom Aston Villa at St James’s Park.

“It seems to rumbled on and rumbled on, but I can’t influence that,” said Bruce. “I can’t even go to the Premier League and say ‘when is this takeover going to happen?’. If I could, I would have been done for months ago.

“I can’t worry about that. What I can do now is prepare the team best I can, and we have given ourselves a wonderful platform with eight games to go, and let the takeover happen if it’s going to happen.

“If it’s the best thing for the club, then OK. But it has dragged on and on, we just have to be patient for a little bit longer.”

Newcastle are 13th in the Premier League and two points behind 10th-placed Arsenal ahead of the Villa game, which is followed by a home FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City on Sunday.