Ashley only took charge of Newcastle last year but decided to sell after vociferous fan protests following the resignation of manager Kevin Keegan.
Last week, former Wimbledon and Nottingham Forest manager Joe Kinnear was named as the surprise choice of caretaker manager until a new owner can be found.
As many as five bidders, including a Nigerian consortium, are thought to be interested but potential buyers do not have to make a bid yet.
First any buyer must show they have the money, and that is only the first step before facing several other hurdles to make sure the sale takes place.
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