According to the Mail’s Craig Hope, Mike Ashley has urged the consortium led by Amanda Staveley to come and complete a takeover – as he doesn’t want another saga to be played out in public.
The Mail also claim that ‘sources close to Staveley’ say that funding for the potential deal is already in place and it may be completed ‘very soon’ as a result.
Hope states that these ‘sources’ close to the Dubai-based businesswoman feel that the final obstacle is Ashley ‘agreeing to sell’ and ‘signing on the dotted line’.
Here’s a snippet from The Mail’s latest piece on the takeover front:
Mike Ashley will tell the consortium led by Amanda Staveley to come and buy Newcastle United if they want it.
Sources close to the Magpies owner have suggested he does not have the appetite for another takeover saga played out in public, much like Staveley’s previous attempt to buy the club in 2017.
Staveley is said to be brokering a £340million deal involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and worth £300billion – and British billionaires Simon and David Reuben.
Sources close to Staveley say the funding for the takeover is in place and ‘could’ be completed ‘very soon’.
They have told us that Ashley ‘agreeing to sell’ and ‘signing on the dotted line’ are the last obstacles they have to overcome.
However, Ashley has long since stated that he is a willing seller, should a group put down the money to take control of the club he has owned since 2007. To date, that has not happened.
He is said to be far from impressed that news of talks have been made public and there is caution given that such leaks have previously led to a breakdown in any proposed deal.
This comes after Sky Sports reported on Monday afternoon that the coming days will be ‘critical’ to any deal – and these suggestions are echoed here, with it seeming as though Mike Ashley has no interest in this dragging out.
Here’s the bit I don’t understand, however – Ashley is ‘urging’ them to come and complete a deal (according to the Mail), yet sources close to Staveley are suggesting that Ashley ‘agreeing to sell’ is one of the ‘last obstacles’.
Surely the two can’t co-exist? Ashley can’t be waiting for someone to finalise a deal he’s yet to fully sanction?
I want to believe this is happening and a small part of me believes this could be it, but once bitten twice as shy.
One thing’s for sure, I don’t see this dragging on for too much longer – and that’ll be in the best interests of anyone.
If it’s happening, amazing, but if it’s not, let’s not be wondering for weeks (or months) on end as we were last summer!
I might just become a journalist, sit in a office making stuff up to help a fat cockney get rich.
When there is an actual quote from anyone mentioned in the Fakeover then I will believe but until then shive your circus media where Ashley talks from.
He must be paying you by the supposed leak. 😡
Cocobear(Quote)
Season ticket renewal Fakeover season………
rupert bear(Quote)
Ashley doesn’t need the money, he is sitting on a business that he ensures won’t lose money, provides him with millions worth of free advertising and to him is more of an entertaining challenge than a problem he needs to get rid of. Everyone says he is unpredictable but that’s only because he couldn’t give a monkey’s about selling Newcastle to anyone. He know’s his price and if he gets it he will also demand a whole myriad of sweeteners to push the deal through, like free advertising, a few shares and christ knows what else. He will make them jump through his hoops unless these multi billionaire Sheiks tell him to stuff it or give him £500 million to ****** off quickly.
Fisty(Quote)
Needs. To sign on dotted line and bigger off nobody wants him at club needs to go now
Gary(Quote)