No sale until end of season, says ex-Anfield chief
Newcastle Utd Editor CHRISTIAN Purslow believes Newcastle United will be not be sold until the end of the season and claims the takeover is being complicated by the Magpies’ poor run of form. The ex-Liverpool managing director was at Anfield when the club was in the throes of takeover talk and also worked with Rafa Benitez. He has experience of acquisitions and mergers and believes the situation at St James’ Park has become too complicated for a preChristmas takeover to be anything other than “fanciful” talk. A fresh round of speculation saw interest piqued again, but the Chronicle understands there have been no significant developments in the last few days. As we reported on Saturday, no second bid has been tabled as yet. Purslow insisted the difference in valuation between Amanda Staveley and Mike Ashley is unlikely to be resolved with Newcastle at risk of relegation.
He said: “Her (Staveley) view on value and Mike Ashley’s are some way apart but, critically, she is also starting to be concerned about a relegation risk.
“Offering an owner of a Premier League team a deal which says, ‘I will give you £250-300m but if in August I find myself in the Championship I would like a refund of a £100m’ - Mike Ashley is never going to accept a deal like that.
“The more likely sequence of events is that buyers wait to see where Newcastle settle and, once their Premier League fate is secure, then a deal gets done.
“However, the idea a deal is going to happen in the next few weeks, let alone at levels which are way below what Mike Ashley’s asking price was, is fanciful.
“I think by the end of the season is when the club gets sold.”
Newcastle’s run of six defeats in seven games is bringing matters to a head.
January is the last point at which owners can have an effect on onthe-field matters by funding player purchases, which is why the next couple of weeks feel so critical.
Purslow admitted: “A run of poor form can turn a team in seventh place, everything looking rosy, into a team where the possibility of relegation starts to loom.
“The significance of that is that, when you are buying or selling a football club, the valuation is directly linked to the revenue performance of that club.
“Mike (Ashley) was rushing, positively rushing to capitalise on Newcastle’s very good start to the season in the summer and autumn.
“We are now moving into these long winter days and Newcastle have had a very bad run of form.
“For any potential acquirer of Newcastle, today, to commit to a valuation would be a very bold move.
“If the club was relegated that valuation would look crazy.”