Ashley invites interest as move marks sea change at Newcastle

MIKE Ashley is hoping to pull off one of the biggest takeover deals in the history of English football by inviting interest in Newcastle United.

He values United at upwards of £400m – hoping to cash in on the global appeal of the Premier League, the presence of a world-class manager in the dug-out and a club on the up. The sales pitch is simple: get a slice of the glamour and excitement of English football’s top flight for a fraction of the price it would cost to get Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City or Arsenal.

But £400m – it is a huge amount of money that w o u l d overshadow the C h i n e s e deal for West Brom, Wolves or the imminent one at Southampton – might still put off many of the i n t e r e s t e d parties.

Uni t e d ’s offer has sent a crackle of i n t e r e s t a r o u n d C h i n e s e groups that are keen to get involved in English football – and there are plenty of them. There have been approaches this week but Newcastle’s offer is not clear at this stage.

Nice owner Chien Lee – who has talked to Middlesbrough, Brentford and Hull City about potential investment – is one of those understood to have considered Newcastle.

He made his money from a budget hotel chain in China and has a 40% stake in the Ligue 1 outfit, who finished third last season.

Whether interest turns into anything concrete still seems debatable.

What seems beyond doubt is that news of Ashley’s willingness to sell was tactical and designed to invite interest across the globe.

It wasn’t a reflection of an imminent takeover, which will no doubt raise eyebrows among those who saw it as a distraction tactic.

It’s a bit more complicated than that. Ashley’s thinking here is that Newcastle’s value is higher than it has been for a long time – if United kick off the season and sit 10th or 12th in Christmas, there’s always going to be the lingering spectre of relegation which will knock tens of millions off the price.

This is the time to sell or offer up a stake. Newcastle know from their trip to China in the Spring there is interest and potential for them in the area.

For Alexander Jarvis, the chairman of Blackbridge Cross Borders – who advise potential Chinese investors in English football – the prospect of a Chinese tactic seems difficult but not impossible.

“It feels like a better fit for a US franchise that maybe has a basketball team or an American football team. It fits better into that portfolio ALEXANDER JARVIS