And they have some serious money to spend.

With around $2 million left to spend in their 2018 salary cap, Newcastle are expected to offer Pearce in the vicinity of $1.2 million a season on a three or four-year deal.

He was on $800,000 a year at the Roosters before being granted a release on Monday following the club’s singing of Cooper Cronk.

He met with Manly and Cronulla this week with the Sea Eagles still in the box seat to sign him, however, they do not have the funds to match the Knights’ offer.

And besides the extra coin, Newcastle coach Nathan Brown says he will sell Pearce the benefits of leaving the fishbowl of Sydney for a new chapter.  

“Mitchell can come to Newcastle and be Mitchell and the town will support him,” Brown told The Daily Telegraph.

“People will support him for who he is and what he is. He doesn’t have to be anyone he is not up here.”

The Knights are a team on the up after a strong recruitment drive that includes Pearce’s former team mates Aidan Guerra, Connor Watson and Shaun Kenny-Dowall.

“This time 18 months ago it would be hard to say to someone we have these X, Y and Zs coming. Now, with the people we have signed, we are showing where the club is heading,” Brown said.

“Some of the younger players showed great improvement last year and we think they will show even more improvement next year.

“And our side will improve not only because of the good players we have brought in but also because from our own young players improving.”