South African businessman Jonathan Cleland is confident he can persuade Kevin Keegan to return as Newcastle manager if his consortium is successful in buying the club.The 46-year-old Scotland-based tycoon today confirmed he held talks with Keegan in Manchester on Monday evening, and was hugely impressed with him.
Cleland revealed he is "80% confident" of being able to push through a deal, but admitted he is not yet in a position to make any promises.
He told the city's evening newspaper, the Evening Chronicle: "My meeting with Kevin went very well. I am hugely impressed with him and I got the sense there was good chemistry between us and there is a strong mutual interest in working together.
"He is our preferred option, but we cannot make any concrete decisions on the managerial position until negotiations on our planned takeover are further advanced.
"I think he understands and supports our concept of developing the club organically."
Cleland's public statement confirms speculation over the last week or so that Keegan could make a sensational return to St James' Park following his resignation last month.
However, there is still a long way to go until the South African consortium - or indeed any other potential buyer - can appoint a manager.
Cleland and his partners claim to have lodged a bid for the club with investment bankers Seymour Pierce, who have been appointed by owner Mike Ashley to sell it.
They and other interested parties have been asked to sign a confidentiality clause, although it is understood their offer is in the region of £300million.
The South Africans and a Nigerian consortium have emerged as the front-runners, in public at least, over the last week or so, and Cleland is hopeful of making a breakthrough.
He said: "I would say we are at least 80% confident of this working. We are cautiously optimistic, but we are not arrogant.
"I am a businessman who happens to be a supporter, and the club and the fans deserve better and we are hoping to achieve that.
"What we have to do is get the fans to come out and support the club in the coming games in their numbers and, in particular, to support the interim manager, who has such a challenge ahead of him."
That interim manager is Joe Kinnear, who hit the headlines today after rounding on his critics.
Kinnear was appointed by Ashley last Friday until the end of October, by which time the billionaire hopes the sale will have gone through.
Cleland confirmed his consortium would install Brazilian soccer schools pioneer Simon Clifford as technical director.
But interestingly, he declined to comment on the fate members of the current regime - Keegan resigned amid a disagreement over the roles of executive director (football) Dennis Wise and vice-president (Player recruitment) Tony Jimenez - could face.
He said: "We would make it very clear that there is a clear hierarchy in place and everybody would fully understand who is calling the shots and who isn't.
"We would not necessarily throw the baby out with the bath water, but in any professional organisation, you have to carry out a detailed review of the human capital to establish exactly who has the capabilities you want and who doesn't.
"It would be inappropriate to discuss which individuals would stay and which wouldn't, and even at a later stage, it would be disrespectful to the brand to pass comment on people."
The members of Cleland's consortium remain anonymous, although a series of South African businessmen linked with Newcastle have denied any interest.
Brian Joffe, founder of investment holding firm Bidvest, today joined billionaire Johann Rupert, the man behind Swiss-owned luxury goods company Richemont, in dismissing the rumours.
And Vivian Imerman, a former owner of Del Monte who has since bought into Scottish Whisky producer Whyte and Mackay, issued a statement after earlier denials went unheeded.
A spokesman said: "Vivian Imerman can re-confirm that he has no involvement whatsoever with any proposed purchase of Newcastle United nor any other football club.
"Neither Vivian Imerman nor Vasari, the investment company Vivian heads, has any interest in investing in football clubs."
by espnstar.com/football/premier-league/news
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