Manchester United defender Wes Brown is set to agree a Bosman deal with Newcastle.

The Daily Mail says the defender is stalling on a new contract from the Barclays Premier League champions and has told friends that he will not sign.

With United refusing to increase their offer, Brown has accepted that he will have to leave Old Trafford when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has long been a fan of the 28-year-old England defender and has been monitoring his situation since the summer.

It is understood that Newcastle's former United players, Nicky Butt and Alan Smith, have helped persuade Brown to go.