The Chronicle says today: "A new deal with Bassong that will see him handed a vastly improved contract which would quintuple his £5,000-a-week wages.
"But while Newcastle are under no pressure to sell Bassong from a contractual point of view, the appointment of Shearer is key to the side's summer plans.
"Yet with four Premier League clubs circling St James's Park like vultures to land Bassong, currently on international duty with Cameroon for their World Cup qualifier with Morocco, Big Al will be keen either to hold on to the classy defender or bank his transfer fee on top of what Ashley pours into his transfer kitty."