Newcastle fans may have heard it all before, but yet another report has suggested that Mike Ashley wants to be done with the club.
The Daily Mail reports that sources within Sports Direct have said that Ashley is getting increasingly keen to arrange a deal and be done with it.
It is said that the uncertainty around Ashley’s Fraser Group (previously Sports Direct International Group) is a big factor in Ashley wanting to sell.
Talk of a takeover is back on after it was reported by the Telegraph that paperwork had been submitted to the Premier League over the potential deal.
Despite this, the Mail claim that their sources at the Premier League have indicated that they will only be ‘interested’ once the seller has notified the league that a deal has been agreed between the two parties.
The deal is involving the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (FiB) and is fronted by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, as per the Telegraph. Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers are also said to be part of the group, and they both want a 10 per cent stake each while Al-Rumayyan will have 80 per cent and the controlling stake in the club.
With the Premier League being notified, they now have the all-clear to run a fit and proper persons test on the potential buyers, to see whether or not they are suitable to take over the club.
The deal was first reported to be at around £340m, but there is a chance that figure will be driven down by the coronavirus crisis which is ongoing.
Even with this news being potentially huge for the club, Newcastle fans will not get carried away with the rumours, as they will not want to get their hopes up only to be let down once more, like they did in January.