NEWCASTLE, Sept 29: The Nigerian consortium trying to buy Newcastle have told their frontman to start looking at managerial candidates, including former boss Kevin Keegan.

Chris Nathaniel, chief executive of NVA Management, has been liaising with the entrepreneurs, who made an official bid for the Premier League club on Friday.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is desperate to leave after fans protested against Keegan’s recent departure following rows with the club’s board.

Seymour Pierce chairman Keith Harris has been appointed by Ashley to sell the club, but in the meantime stand-in manager Joe Kinnear is in charge of a team second bottom of the table and facing a relegation battle.

A group of British-based South Africans are also believed to be interested in making a bid, but the Nigerian consortium, who insist they will not be embroiled in a bidding war, are already on the look-out for a boss to replace Kinnear.

“We have put a bid in on Friday evening,” Nathaniel said. “We are now looking at things around improving the football club in anticipation of hearing back from Newcastle positively.

“Therefore, the consortium have asked to look at areas of how we can improve the club while Newcastle are considering the bid.”City sources have suggested a degree of scepticism over the Nigerian consortium, particularly as they will remain anonymous until a bid is accepted.

Nathaniel insists they are serious, with a long-term strategy for the club already being worked on.

“As far as I know we are the only official bid to have been put in,”Nathaniel said. “I’m sure they will wait for other bids and make a decision on which one to accept.

“One thing is for sure, we will not get involved in a bidding war. We’ve earmarked money for transfers, money to buy the club and money to deal with the various deep-rooted issues behind the club like the academy.

“A budget has been put in place and my instructions are that they do not want to go over that budget.”—AFP