• Senior players could hand in transfer requests
• Beye and Taylor thought to be dismayed by lack of progress

Newcastle United may have to head off a players’ revolt if the saga of the club’s ownership is not resolved soon. It has been reported that several players who hoped to stay on Tyneside to attempt to drag the club back into the Premier League under Alan Shearer’s leadership have grown increasingly frustrated by the delay in naming a new manager.

Matters could come to a head within a fortnight as those who had hoped their futures and that of the club might have been resolved by now could ask for moves unless a permanent manager is put in place.

Shearer held talks with the current owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias within days of the end of the season. The former Newcastle player was thought to be keen to step into full-time management while the club’s hierarchy were apparently delighted with his enthusiasm to do so, meaning the way forward appeared to be mapped out.

But then Ashley decided to cut his losses and put the club up for sale for the second time and, nearly six weeks on, he has not found a buyer.

In the meantime, the players – or at least those not given extra time after appearing for their countries at the end of last season – have returned to training with no manager and an owner keen to move on.

Ashley’s hands are tied to a certain extent by the fact prospective buyers want to appoint their own manager rather than inherit one from their predecessors.

Shearer outlined his plans for the club back in May, including which members of the current squad he would like to keep and which he would move on in an effort to slash a crippling wage bill.

The likes of Steven Taylor, Habib Beye and Damien Duff, among others, have indicated their willingness to stay, while the Frenchman Sébastien Bassong was one man Shearer was desperate to retain.

However, there have been suggestions that both Taylor and Beye have become dismayed at the lack of conspicuous progress, while Bassong’s representatives have already spoken to two other English clubs.

Llambias revealed yesterday that “more than two” potential purchasers have matched Ashley’s £100m asking price and the current regime is hopeful that a deal could be struck within days. But the clock is running with the new Championship campaign due to get under way on 8 August with many of the players as yet unsure as to where they will be playing their football next season.

The bulk of the squad, minus Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Claudio Cacapa, Peter Lovenkrands, David Edgar and Ignacio González, who have left the club after their contracts expired, are currently in Ireland, where Newcastle will play Shamrock Rovers in their first warm-up game on Saturday.

But they will return to Tyneside to resume preparations on Monday hoping for positive developments.