Liam Kennedy has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United that interestingly involves Rafa Benitez.

The Lowdown: Bruce potentially at risk

If the proposed takeover from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group is eventually completed, then Steve Bruce may certainly be at risk of losing his job at St. James' Park.

The new owners may want to go down a new pathway in terms of hiring a fresh manager to take them into the new era, and given that Bruce was not hired by them in the first place, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss may well be at risk.

Theoretically, a takeover could well be completed as early as July, if the arbitration case against the Premier League goes well for Mike Ashley and the North East club, which would then in turn cast doubt over Bruce's future.

The Latest: Kennedy drops takeover claim

Replying to sports journalist Ross Gregory on Twitter when asked whether Benitez would consider any of the currently vacant manager jobs at the moment, Kennedy, of the Shields Gazette, claimed with regards to the former Liverpool and Chelsea coach: "He wants NUFC job. If he takes another it will be a potential indication things are going south on takeover front."

Benitez would most definitely be a big name that the new owners would likely be looking for if they can get their bid over the line, and the fact that he wants the job and has managed on Tyneside before potentially gives him an advantage.

The Verdict: Takeover could be going south

As Kennedy claims, the takeover could well be heading south if Benitez decides to take one of the vacant manager jobs available.

The fact that he wants to manage the Magpies again, coupled up with the fact that he is the sort of big name that the new owners would probably be looking for, means that as long as he stays available it could be a sign that the takeover is not buried in the sand as of yet.

A positive result in arbitration could propel the Toon to start looking at new managers to potentially replace Bruce, assuming that the takeover could be accelerated, and if Benitez is still available by then, then certain pieces of the jigsaw may well fall into the place.

In other news, find out which player dubbed 'the future Kun Aguero' NUFC are eyeing here!