Bramble was on Tyneside today undergoing a medical, although the two parties have yet to sit down to discuss a contract.
"It's not just a question of going to a club and signing on the dotted line. There is a long medical procedure to go through and then the player's agent gets involved in the financial side. Hopefully it will be all agreed on Monday or Tuesday," explained Sheepshanks.
"I'm as happy as I can be in the circumstances. I don't like being a seller other than when it is strategic. In this situation we are forced to sell. We have got to have a balancing act between having a good squad and getting the finances right."