Newcastle United have opened their books to potential buyers.

Interested parties were granted access to the club's financial documentation on Wednesday having proved to the satisfaction of investment bankers Seymour Pierce that they have the cash to meet owner Mike Ashley's £100million asking price.

In that respect, there are bids on the table, although there is still a long way to go before any offer could be formalised or accepted, and sources close to the deal have indicated no announcement is imminent.

However, that does not mean progress is not being made, although the identities of the competing consortia and just how far down the line they are respectively remain a matter of some speculation.