Dennis Wise will be confirmed as the new general manager of Newcastle United today as the centrepiece of a significant restructuring of the club.

In the biggest changes since Mike Ashley bought Newcastle last summer, The Times can reveal that Tony Jimenez, a London-based property developer, will join the board as a vice-president and Jeff Vetere, a scout for Real Madrid, will be appointed as technical director to complete a continental-style management structure working in support of Kevin Keegan.

Keegan has been aware of Ashley’s plans to create a multi-tiered management team since he returned to the club as manager a fortnight ago, but had little say over its composition. It is understood that Wise, the Leeds United manager, was already being lined up before he was appointed. “I am very happy [about the situation],” Keegan said yesterday after further discussions with Chris Mort, his chairman. “That’s a fact.”

Leeds confirmed yesterday that they had agreed a compensation package with Newcastle for Wise and he will leave after preparing the team for tonight’s Coca-Cola League One match against Southend United at Roots Hall. It is believed that he will treble his salary to £1.5 million a year.

Keegan resumed talks with Alan Shearer last night about the former Newcastle captain taking up a part-time position – probably coaching the forwards – but Shearer will not be offered a senior role within the new structure. Wise’s appointment should not affect those discussions, however, as his remit will not include coaching and he will be primarily charged with identifying talent and buying players in the manner of a director of football. Wise and Vetere will make the initial assessment before calling in Jimenez to do the deal, though Newcastle insist that Keegan will have the final say.

While many Newcastle fans will be stunned at the recruitment of such a controversial character as Wise, it is even more surprising that he has chosen to abandon his management career after mounting an impressive promotion challenge with Leeds, despite the handicap of a 15-point penalty.

The Times understands, however, that Wise has told friends he no longer wants to be a manager after becoming disillusioned with the job since the departure of Gustavo Poyet, his assistant, to Tottenham Hotspur. His new position will also enable him to spend more time at the family home in Buckinghamshire as he will not be required to move to the North East.

Wise will work closely with Vetere and Jimenez, who was intimately involved in his appointment and whose work for the club will be formalised when he is appointed in a part-time position today. Although his background is in property, the Spanish-speaking Jimenez is well connected in football and has a reputation as an astute deal-maker, helping to bring Juande Ramos to Tottenham as head coach before beginning work for Newcastle late last year.

Jimenez has known Wise since the latter’s playing days at Chelsea a decade ago and the pair have maintained a close friendship.

Vetere will also have a crucial role because, in contrast with Keegan’s first period in charge, when he scrapped the reserve team, Newcastle are pinning their hopes on youth development, hoping to follow the successful models in place at Arsenal and Seville by filling their academy with the best players from all over the world.

The multilingual Vetere began his career as a youth-team manager at Rushden & Diamonds, but he was appointed overseas co-ordinator at Charlton Athletic by Alan Curbishley, who also took him to West Ham United before Vetere left for Real.

On another remarkable day on Tyneside, Keegan confirmed that Joey Barton, who is on bail over an assault charge, is set to be named on the substitutes’ bench for tonight’s league fixture away to Arsenal. Barton was residing at the Sporting Chance clinic in Hampshire but now has a nightly curfew at his North East home at 7.30pm, except on match days. “His football has to do his talking now,” Keegan said.