Steve Bruce hints at early transfer activity at Newcastle United ahead of takeover decision

The summer window opens on Sunday, when Steve Bruce’s side conclude their Premier League campaign with a home game against Liverpool.

Newcastle hope to soon discover soon whether a proposed £300million Saudi Arabia-backed takeover will be approved following a lengthy owners’ and directors’ test.

However, Bruce, United’s head coach, insisted ahead of the Liverpool game that it’s “business as usual” at the club, which has already signed goalkeeper Mark Gillespie.

"When I say business as usual, we’ve got one or two irons in the fire right now – let’s hope we can pull them off,” said Bruce. “We’ve got competition, but I think that’ll be the case right through the summer.

"As soon as the window opens, we’ll go to work. Things are not on hold.

"We need that (takeover) decision to be made, but the only thing I can do, along with Lee (Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director), is to keep planning as best we can, and that obviously includes the transfer market.

"I think, even without the takeover, a lot of clubs will be taking stock of the situation.

"A lot of planning has been disrupted because of what’s happened in the world. I don’t think there’ll be huge, huge transfers. Some of the really big clubs will be able to do it, but a lot will find it really tough.”