keggy_keagal
Vital Football Hero
Following a series of rumours this summer of Chinese interest in purchasing Newcastle United (rumours that were reported on Sky) .There seems to have been another round of reports this morning of the club supposedly being up for sale .
The Times have reported the following :
‘Mike Ashley has dropped the asking price for Newcastle United to £380 million in an attempt to complete a sale.
Newcastle have effectively been on the market for several years without finding a buyer, but there were fresh negotiations with Chinese investors last summer and Ashley said that he valued the club at £400 million.
In talks that have led to several potential buyers signing non-disclosure agreements in recent weeks however, Ashley has indicated that he would sell for £380 million, as well as emphasising that Newcastle possess a world-class manager in Rafael Benítez.
Ashley is determined to get more than double the £180 million he paid for Newcastle ten years ago, although brokers believe that he is being optimistic.’
In recent years there's been links to Singaporean firm The Profitable Group, Robert Kraft and an unnamed Dubai family were reported in The Chronicle to have made a formal offer that was rebuffed once official negotiations started as Ashley was rumoured to have changed his mind at the last minute.
Of course if interested parties have signed non disclosure agreements as The Times suggests you have to ask how did The Times find out about it ? A leak from the club ? Is this a planted story in an attempt to smoke out interest ?
Whatever the truth of the matter there has been a distinct change from Mike Ashley in recent months, he's certainly placed himself more in the public eye than in previous years and in June it was confirmed that he had sold his stake in Rangers to the Club1872 group and Julian Wolhardt.
Ashley and his warehouse stores did very well out of Rangers. Rangers got just 7p out of every pound spent on Rangers kits/memorabilia under their previous kit deal, a deal believed to be replicated with Newcastle United. For Ashley to withdraw from Rangers and then agree to rip up the seven year kit deal that was in place is puzzling. Of the few certainties we know about Ashley two are that he values money above all else and that's he's a stubborn gambler. Could his exit from Rangers have indicated a longer term plan that signals his intent to withdraw from football ? As ever nothing is certain when it comes to being a Newcastle United supporter.
The Times have reported the following :
‘Mike Ashley has dropped the asking price for Newcastle United to £380 million in an attempt to complete a sale.
Newcastle have effectively been on the market for several years without finding a buyer, but there were fresh negotiations with Chinese investors last summer and Ashley said that he valued the club at £400 million.
In talks that have led to several potential buyers signing non-disclosure agreements in recent weeks however, Ashley has indicated that he would sell for £380 million, as well as emphasising that Newcastle possess a world-class manager in Rafael Benítez.
Ashley is determined to get more than double the £180 million he paid for Newcastle ten years ago, although brokers believe that he is being optimistic.’
In recent years there's been links to Singaporean firm The Profitable Group, Robert Kraft and an unnamed Dubai family were reported in The Chronicle to have made a formal offer that was rebuffed once official negotiations started as Ashley was rumoured to have changed his mind at the last minute.
Of course if interested parties have signed non disclosure agreements as The Times suggests you have to ask how did The Times find out about it ? A leak from the club ? Is this a planted story in an attempt to smoke out interest ?
Whatever the truth of the matter there has been a distinct change from Mike Ashley in recent months, he's certainly placed himself more in the public eye than in previous years and in June it was confirmed that he had sold his stake in Rangers to the Club1872 group and Julian Wolhardt.
Ashley and his warehouse stores did very well out of Rangers. Rangers got just 7p out of every pound spent on Rangers kits/memorabilia under their previous kit deal, a deal believed to be replicated with Newcastle United. For Ashley to withdraw from Rangers and then agree to rip up the seven year kit deal that was in place is puzzling. Of the few certainties we know about Ashley two are that he values money above all else and that's he's a stubborn gambler. Could his exit from Rangers have indicated a longer term plan that signals his intent to withdraw from football ? As ever nothing is certain when it comes to being a Newcastle United supporter.