Newcastle United Takeover “No closer than it was two weeks ago”
In a recent interview, Sky Sports news reporter, Keith Downie revealed that Newcastle’s £300 million takeover could take two to three months to complete.
Downie, who regularly reports on Newcastle United for Sky Sports, said “There has to be a real element of patience” saying widespread speculation about the completion of the deal had fans believing the deal between current owner Mike Ashley and the consortium of Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben Brothers , would only take a matter of weeks.
After reporting on several of the previous Newcastle takeover attempts, Downie sympathised with the NUFC supporters saying: ‘I know it’s obviously very frustrating for the supporters to sit day by day checking their phones and online to see if its happening’. he also thinks the pandemic may be making the process longer.
The Sky Sports reporter spoke about how other successful takeovers have taken two to three months to be completed and nothing new regarding the takeover business has been reported.
Unlike previous Newcastle takeover attempts, no comment has been made by Mike Ashley or his people regarding the Sale of Newcastle United with Downie believing Ashley is ‘desperate’ to sell the club and is not wanting to jeopardise the deal.
Downie raised his concerns about as to whether or not the takeover would be completed with the club and fans being in a similar positions in previous years, now its just “Whether they can get this final piece of the jigsaw completed”.
“The difficult thing with this story is the vast majority of information is all coming from one side, I certainly, from my own expierence feel like I need to tread quite carefully on this one.
“With regards to the takeover and how close it is, from what I know, I don’t think its any closer than it was two weeks ago and I know its obviously very frustrating for the supports to sit here and day by day check their phones, check online to try and find out if its happening but I think with these things there has to be a real element of patience.
“I certainly know from speaking to other colleagues who have reported on takeovers that have gone through, some of them can take up to two or three months so I think is sort of been widely report that this could been done in two weeks.
“Yes this could have been done in two weeks, but it can also take a lot longer than that and I would imagine that the pandemic is sort of making things drag on a little bit as well.
“It sounds as though all the ducks are in line in terms of getting it done but whether they can sort of get this final piece of the jigsaw complete is the big question.
“in the last two or three times that there’s been a takeover in the offing we’ve had some kind of steer either on or off the record from Mike Ashley and his people but I have to tell you we’ve not had one word either on or off the record from him regarding this.
“So part of me thinks well hang on that’s a positive thing the fact he hasn’t come out and said anything negative or said I don’t know the trusted intentions here, but it also leaves you guessing in so many other ways here as well.
“I think it is he’s desperate for the deal to get done himself and he doesn’t want to jeopardise it in any way by saying anything, but then it just leaves the whole thing open to conjecture for everyone else to talk about.
“Until I get any kind of steer or information from them, I will not 100% believe its happening and I’m sure most of the supporters will share that kind of thought process as well given the fact we’ve been here a number of times before.”
