Jim White is at it again and making more big claims on the Newcastle United takeover front.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the Sky Sports presenter (who’ll no doubt arrive back on our screens during Friday’s ‘deadline day’) claims the bid from the Stavelely-led Saudi group “is real” – and “a lot further advanced” than people think.
He even suggests the deal could go through in the next two to three days if ‘everything goes right’ and ‘Ashley goes along with it’ – but we’ve heard that before, with the latter often being the biggest issue.
Here’s what he’s had to say about a potential deal on talkSPORT:
“The situation is this – the bid is real, of course it is, and it amounts to £340m. And it involves the man at the very top, the man who runs Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman.
“So, what happens now?.
“In the past, Mike Ashley has not gone through with other takeover bids because it was leaked to the media and that’s exactly what happened at the weekend.
“The Wall Street Journal wrote the story over this latest takeover story and had quite a bit of critical detail in there as well.
“This morning I’m being told that this is a lot further advanced than most people think – someone from the City told me; ‘this man has the deepest pockets in the world. The deepest pocks of the lot and this could be an amazing situation for Newcastle United’.
“As far as I gather, this could happen in the next 48 to 72 hours – if everything goes right, and Ashley goes along with it.”
This isn’t the first time White has piped up about a potential takeover and it probably won’t be the last – unless he’s third time lucky here.
The wealth of Mohammad bin Salman and the Saudi Arabian Sovereign wealth fund is undeniable, but the idea that they could be announced as our new owners this week is hard to believe the amount of false dawns we’ve dealt with in the past.
It’s hard not to get excited or at least hopeful that this could finally be it, but with it all being made public and it reported today (by the PA) that TWO other groups are talking to Ashley, it’s impossible to predict what will happen next.
He also said the Khaled bid was the real thing and was going through. If this new bid does go through it will be a lucky guess by White, not due to any ‘insider information’.
mactoon(Quote)
More lies quick quick get your season ticket now mugs
Larry(Quote)
Nobody is going to run out and buy season tickets based on the strength of this claim, regardless of what they believe, so even suggesting that just shows you to be one of the many anti-Ashley mob.
Of course, if a sale goes through you will all be lining up to admit you were wrong.
Archie(Quote)
This guy must be terrible at jigsaw puzzles.
“In the past, Mike Ashley has not gone through with other takeover bids because it was leaked to the media.”
Which deal was that then? The one he called off because it was leaked?
Archie(Quote)