According to 90min, Mike Ashley is confident of selling Newcastle in 2022, with the proposed takeover expected to go through.
What’s the story?
Well, this will be music to the St James’ Park faithful’s collective ears.
90min believe Ashley and his legal team are confident that the arbitration ruling will go in their favour.
Ashley is looking to push through the arranged £300m deal to sell the Magpies to Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners, the Reuben Brothers and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
In July 2020, it was the PIF group who pulled out of the deal, after the Premier League refused to pass them through their owners’ and directors’ test.
Ashley is now confident of selling the club in 2022, with Staveley’s consortium still ready to do a deal.
How is Joe Willock involved in this for Newcastle?
Interestingly, 90min claim that Newcastle only signed Joe Willock as they were confident of the takeover going through eventually.
Knowing they have to maintain their Premier League status to help the takeover go through, the Magpies spent £25m on the 22-year-old.
Willock scored eight goals in the Premier League for Newcastle last term, and will be vital again if they are to survive this season.
Crucially, 90min detail how Ashley allowed the deal to go against club policy and be done in instalments, something he’s never done before.
In our view, he wouldn’t do that unless he was confident of others arriving on Tyneside to pick up the future payments instead of him.
Keep your eyes on this saga, as this is certainly an interesting development.
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