Steve Bruce reacts to Newcastle United takeover revelations

Instead, the news agenda has been dominated by new revelations about last summer’s proposed £300million takeover of the club backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

And United head coach Bruce has had a quieter week following last weekend’s 2-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor. The result saw the 17th-placed club move six points clear of third-bottom Fulham.

Asked about his week ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League game against fourth-placed West Ham United at St James’s Park, Bruce joked: “It’s been very quiet for a change, but then again there’s a takeover on the horizon, isn’t there?”

Bruce went on: “There’s nothing quite like a result to give everybody a lift. We’ve gone about our work very quietly, very well over the last few weeks. We haven’t won enough, but I think we’ve only lost one of our last six.

"It’s important that we keep that form to make sure we get the accumulation of points that we need.”

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is trying to resurrect the takeover, which was not approved by the Premier League last year, through a private arbitration process.

Asked for his view on this week’s revelations, Bruce said: “I’ve got no opinion on it whatsoever. I don’t know enough about it. I don’t know where it sits, where it is. I’m really, genuinely focused on how we can go and get a result against West Ham.”

David Moyes’s West Ham are fourth in the Premier League table and pushing for Champions League qualification.

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