Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce told ‘nothing’ in takeover reports

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce says he has been told “there's nothing” in reports of a takeover of the club, by managing director Lee Charnley.

BBC Sport understands talks on the potential £340m takeover of the St James' Park side by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund are “advanced”.

However, Bruce said: “If there was something to talk about and something to tell me, he'll (Charnley) tell me.

“I have a relationship with him that I think he would.”

He added: “At the moment all he's said, there's nothing in it. OK, fine, let's go to work and let's see where we are.”

Negotiations between the Arab state's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Newcastle owner Mike Ashley are believed to have been in progress for several months.

“I don't get involved with all that,” said Bruce, whose side host Norwich City on Saturday (1500 GMT).

“It's for other people to worry about and for you to write and talk about. I just concentrate on what I can do and what I can affect.

“It has an unsettling effect on everybody, of course, I wouldn't lie, but we're somehow getting used to it.

“All I'm concentrating on is the game tomorrow and certainly the players are as well as myself.”

Meanwhile, Bruce says Newcastle had failed in a bid to try to sign Chelsea and France striker Olivier Giroud, 33, and a club-record bid for an unnamed midfielder had collapsed as the player did not want to move.

“We were really active and it didn't quite happen. We'll just have to wait and see what we can do in the summer.” he said.