Ashley on brink of Toon sale
MIKE ASHLEY is increasingly confident that a £300million deal to sell Newcastle will be finalised in the new year.
A consortium fronted by former Chelsea and Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon is close to agreeing a price for the club. And the legal team at law firm Walker Morris, who are working on the sale with Kenyon, have been told all Christmas leave has been cancelled.
It suggests both parties have thrashed out a deal in principle and are now working on the finer details in readiness for a takeover within the next few weeks.
Ashley, right, has said he wants to sever his links with the club he has owned for the past 11 years. And the buyers are keen to get their feet under the table as soon as possible.
That will be music to the ears of Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez who knows his January spending plans could depend on the sale of the
club going through. Benitez, below, has kept his counsel since news first emerged that a takeover is in the pipeline but realistically he will only sign a new contract to stay at
St James’ Park if new owners come in.
It is understood payment methods over the sale have still to be thrashed out but there is broad agreement on Ashley’s valuation.
Kenyon’s consortium includes Rockefeller Capital Movement, based in New York, and while other parties remain in the background, they are the main group with the financial muscle to invest heavily in the Magpies.
The US firm have more than £18bn of assets and regard Premier League football – and particularly sleeping giant Newcastle, with 50,000-plus home crowds – as a risk-free investment.
Twelve months ago, a takeover bid led by Amanda Staveley was dismissed out of hand by Ashley.
SEAN Dyche says the pressure has eased on Burnley ahead of their daunting trip to Wembley to face Tottenham tomorrow. Dyche, left, says the Clarets can play with more freedom because their 1-0 win over Brighton last Saturday lifted them out of the bottom three. “It just gives the players that reminder of that winning feeling,” he said. “We go into two tough games now away to Tottenham and Arsenal.”
●WEST HAM’S Jack Wilshere faces another long spell out. After having surgery on his left ankle in September, he has now damaged the other ankle in training.