Interim Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear is to sign a new one-month contract as efforts to sell the club continue. The 61-year-old will extend his stay on Tyneside, which was due to expire at the end of October, until the end of November by agreeing a rolling deal.

Kinnear will lead the Magpies into Saturday's derby clash with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, and his stay was scheduled to come to an end after Tuesday's Barclays Premier League visit of West Brom to St James' Park.

However, as he hinted several weeks ago, he will remain in charge for a little longer.

Kinnear said: "I will be signing a new contract, but it will be for another month.

"It's a monthly situation because I know they are in talks - who with, I have no idea - but they are in talks and what they are doing, it is just like a rolling contract, one month after another month, and then take it from there.

"During the week, there were three or four managers mentioned. Gerard Houllier - there were so many, I lost count. Sven-Goran Eriksson was in there as well.

"I don't know, really. There are so many consortiums. My missus rang me and said, 'There's a new one come in tonight'.

"It's amazing the coverage they are getting because when I was down in London, you got a little bit about Newcastle.

"I have never seen a back-page lead in the Evening Standard, when you have got Chelsea, Arsenal and all the other clubs, until now."

Despite weeks of speculation over potential buyers and the managers they intend to recruit, the prospect of owner Mike Ashley selling the club within weeks seems remote.

Investment bankers Seymour Pierce, through their chairman Keith Harris, continue to talk to interested parties, although the current financial climate is proving something of an impediment.

The revelation that the Dubai-based Zabeel Investments group has ended its interest in Charlton inevitably led to a renewal of the link with Newcastle, although that is not understood to be based on fact.

But whatever happens behind the scenes over the next few weeks and months, Kinnear insists he is enjoying every minute of his big chance.

He said: "I love it. It's the best thing I have ever done, it really is.

"I have tried on numerous occasions to get myself back in. All the interviews that I'd had, I had asked if I could just make a statement and have them to listen to what I had to say.

"But it was, 'How's your heart?', 'How's your medical situation?', so really, I was written off, to be honest.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for me to let everybody know I am back in the business.

"If it's not to be at Newcastle, I understand that, if Kevin [Keegan] is on his way back.

"But you never know what will happen to me, if I do a good job here, where it is going to take me.

"I have got to make sure a do a really great job here for the short period of time I am here."

Meanwhile, defender Habib Beye is free to play in Saturday's derby clash after an appeal against his red card on Monday evening was upheld.