London, Dec 31 (IANS): Tony Pulis is on the brink of becoming West Bromwich Albion manager after rejecting Newcastle United.

The former Stoke City boss, who quit Crystal Palace on the eve of the season, is clear to work again from Jan 1 under his severance deal with the south London club, reports dailymail.co.uk.

He had been interested in the vacancy at Newcastle but told his advisers to end talks when they became worried that controversial club owner Mike Ashley and head scout Graham Carr would want a say in team selection.

Ashley and Carr control the recruitment of players at St James’ Park, a situation Alan Pardew reluctantly accepted. But it was a factor in Pardew’s decision to accept an offer to become Palace’s new manager.

Pulis, 56, was not prepared to accept that. Indeed, Pulis insisted he would only succeed sacked head coach Alan Irvine at The Hawthorns if it was written into his contract that he would be in charge of transfers.