Time is not on United’s side as season hits a crucial stage
TAKEOVER NEEDS TO BE DONE QUICKLY TO END ALL THE NAGGING UNCERTAINTY
THERE are burning issues at Newcastle United to be sorted out before Christmas.
With takeover talk, crucial games and Rafa Benitez’s own future in play, these two weeks before the festive run of fixtures feel familiarly pivotal. Regional Football Publishing Editor Mark Douglas assesses the current state of play at a crucial juncture for the club. in the dark, working - as he is - on the assumption he should just get on with his job and let the takeover run its course.
The general feeling is the first anyone - even people who work for the club - will know about a deal is when its signed and a statement is released by the club.
Ashley’s interview last week seems a pretty clear attempt to fast-track the deal before the January transfer window.
He wants potential buyers undergoing thorough due diligence to make their move now and the three questions now are do they have the funds secured to do it, will they be put off by attempts to hurry the process and finally - are they at a stage where they feel confident they have all the information compiled to do the deal? deal and commercial and sponsorship contracts to assess, arriving at a valuation and an estimate for how much money will be required to take United forward will have been a long process. If it is a venture capital fund who are taking over, all of these things will need to be done properly as the end game of their investment will be to make money from Newcastle. If it is a single, wealthy buyer it could be done more quickly.
It was the talk of people who work for the club over the weekend that a deal is in the offing and while we could say the same about Amanda Staveley’s failed bid there is a different feel to this round of talks. Accountants working for investors have poured over the books - something which will not have come at no cost to a potential investor.
Could it fall through? This is Newcastle. We should have learned by now that anything is possible.
It is impossible to say anything for certain but multiple sources - some of which are totally independent of the owner himself - are still backing up what Ashley said last week.
It does not mean it will happen Ashley has been close to selling on several previous occasions, only to grow disillusioned with the process - but it does feel like it is now or never for the current attempt to sell.
Such is the mistrust and the clamour for information, frustration with that is understandable - but the potential takeover is more than just self promotion or idle gossip.
2. THERE IS A TIGHT TIMEFRAME
Ashley’s interview with Sky was hardly strategic. In fact, it caught plenty of people off guard. Yet there was method behind timing his revelation when he did and the looming January transfer window was surely the reason for that.