According to The Athletic, Mike Ashley held takeover talks with TWO Mexican businessmen in London last week – but it didn’t go well.
As David Ornstein reports, it’s claimed the conversation ‘came to nothing’, with Mike Ashley said to have come across as ‘rude’.
Here’s a snippet from The Athletic’s piece, who are unable to confirm if those that met the NUFC owner were part of the Orlegi Group – who were linked with a takeover in May:
‘Not that it is for a lack of interest and The Athletic can reveal that Ashley met with two Mexican businessmen in London last week as various negotiations to end his 12-year tenure continue.
‘Unfortunately for those hoping Newcastle will finally change hands, it was a familiar story: Ashley is said to have come across as “rude” and the conversation came to nothing. The visitors were club owners, though it is unclear if they were the same Mexicans who reportedly had Newcastle on their radar in May. That was apparently the Orlegi Group, led by Alejandro Irarragorri and owners of the club Santos Laguna.
‘At last week’s meeting, it is understood that the two businessmen revealed to Ashley a fascination with Newcastle dating back to the 2005 movie Goal!. In the film, a Mexican-born footballer called Santiago Munez is offered a trial with Newcastle and goes on to fulfil his childhood dream of playing professional football. Their chances of completing a similar fairytale on Tyneside look slim.’
For a man who ‘has the club up for sale’, he really doesn’t make an effort, does he?
If it’s not Ashley off putting potential buyers via a unrealistic asking price, it’s this.
He may ideally want to sell the club if he secured a huge deal, but that doesn’t mean he’s actively pursuing a sale – and this latest story appears to back that idea up even further.
It looks like we’re stuck with him for a while longer yet..
