*WWE owner Vince McMahon reported to be keen on a takeover

*McMahon, a billionaire, has been linked with a move for Newcastle before

*McMahon, whose catchphrase is ‘you’re fired!’, wants to promote WWE in Europe

As if being a Newcastle United fan is not reason enough for ridicule after recent results, the club has woken to find itself at the centre of one of the more bizarre stories of the season following reports WWE owner Vince McMahon is interested in buying the club from Mike Ashley.

It is not the first time the American billionaire has been linked with a takeover of the Tyneside club.

Two years ago his name surfaced as a potential buyer from Ashley, who has long been the subject of a hate campaign by Newcastle supporters unhappy with the direction he has taken the club.

McMahon is chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a well-known American entertainment company which promotes professional wrestling and takes the Sky Sports-televised franchise and its superstar athletes across the globe.

This latest rumour started on the sporting website Winner Sports, which claimed that billionaire McMahon is interested in buying Newcastle to help raise the profile of WWE in this country and Europe.

While this latest report is also likely to come to nothing, and rumours of McMahon ‘sniffing around’ the club is news to Newcastle United, it has provoked an amusing response on Twitter.

And one man who will be keeping a close eye on developments is certain to be manager Alan Pardew. The reason? McMahon’s catchphrase on his WWE shows is… ‘you’re fired.’

—Daily Mail