All parties 'confident' of £300m takeover as Saudi PIF agree on Steve Bruce successor - Report

It's now being reported that the consortium pushing to buy Newcastle United are increasingly confident that a £300m deal will be given the go ahead next month - and it's also said they've laid the groundwork to bring Rafa Benitez back to the club should legal proceedings go in their favour.

That is according to Football Insider, who claim that the Saudi PIF, Amanda Staveley, The Reuben brothers and Mike Ashley are ALL confident in their case - believing they'll win the arbitration hearing against the Premier League in July.

The same report also states that Rafa Benitez remains the consortium's top target and will make a dramatic return to St James' Park if the deal is finally passed this summer.

The Spaniard has been linked to a host of top flight jobs over the past few weeks - Everton, Spurs and Wolves to name a few - and some Toon fans are hoping he's never emerged as a top contender as he has one eye on a return to Tyneside.

All of the above must be taken with a pinch of salt, but this does come after a big 'exclusive' from The Sun stated over the weekend that Mike Ashley was 'certain' he'd win his takeover battle - claiming he'd informed the buying side to be prepared for completion next month.

Whether you want to believe any of this information is up to you - I wouldn't blame anyone for turning a blind eye given what we've been through over the past 12 months. We have heard all these 'positive noises' before and the buying side has never been short of confidence throughout the entire process, yet look where we are...

Suggesting Rafa is the man they want could be putting two and two together and getting five, even if it has always seemed highly likely that he makes a sensational return should the Saudis arrive.

The truth is, nobody really knows and the only thing we can do is sit, wait and hope these promising reports have some truth behind them.

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