Newcastle have opened talks with former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe about the possibility of taking over at St James' Park, according to Frank McAvennie.

It was reported at the start of the month that Howe, who left the South Coast club last summer following their relegation from the Premier League, was on the verge of joining McAvennie's former club Celtic.

But uncertainty has since crept in. Football Insider claimed that Crystal Palace intervened first in a bid to hijack the deal, and now McAvennie has revealed that, according to his sources, Newcastle have thrown their hat in the ring.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “Eddie Howe is going to be speaking to Newcastle.

"From what I hear, he's holding back on Celtic and it looks like he's talking to Newcastle, which is a shame because Steve Bruce has done a good job."

Howe was Newcastle fans' number one choice

Last month, 14,000 Newcastle supporters took part in a Chronicle Live survey, and a whopping 95% called for the club to part ways with Steve Bruce amid the threat of relegation.

10,000 of those fans voted on their preferences for Bruce's replacement, and Howe led the way with the backing of 25%.

Transfer Tavern verdict

The hold-up in the proposed Celtic deal certainly suggests that Howe has cold feet. His preference may be another shot at Premier League management.

But it's difficult to see him taking the job at Newcastle. Yes, they're a huge club, but the 43-year-old has the air of an immensely ambitious coach, and the ceiling at St James' Park is pretty low while Mike Ashley remains in charge.

Perhaps if the takeover is eventually completed that may change things, but at the moment we can't see Howe becoming the latest in a long line of managers to be stifled by Ashley.

In other news, Newcastle have been told how much they should be prepared to pay for Joe Willock.