Press Association Sport understands the party of businessmen from Malaysia, who were shown around St James' Park and the club's Darsley Park training headquarters during a flying visit to Tyneside on Thursday, have tabled an offer.
It is understood that offer does not equate to current owner Mike Ashley's £100million asking price and may be nearer to £80million, but that the prospective buyers are prepared to take on a working overdraft of up to £40million.
An America-based group has been among the front-runners for some time - and representatives are said to have visited the training ground earlier this week - while former chairman Freddy Shepherd, the Profitable Group from Singapore and would-be investors from Oman and South Africa have been heavily linked with the club.
Only the Profitable group have acknowledged their interest, and that before they, like all the serious contenders, signed a non-disclosure agreement preventing them from talking about the ongoing negotiations.