Mike Ashley was READY to confirm £300m Newcastle United sale to Saudi buyers LAST WEEK before they insisted on a delay because the local custom is to wait for full completion before a deal is announced
- Mike Ashley is in the process of selling Newcastle to Saudi Arabian buyers
- The businessman was ready to announce the deal last week until a delay
- Saudi custom is to wait for full completion, hence the lack of announcement
- There might otherwise have been a statement as deal is with the Premier League
Mike Ashley was hours away from confirming the £300million sale of Newcastle United last week only for the Saudi owners in-waiting to insist on a delay, sources have told Sportsmail.
Those close to the deal – being brokered by Amanda Staveley – say the Saudi business custom is to wait until full completion before making a formal announcement.
That would explain why there has been no statement from the club explaining that an agreement has been reached and that the proposed takeover is now in the hands of the Premier League.
Mike Ashley was hours away from confirming the £300m sale of Newcastle before a delay
The absence of such continues to make some supporters cautious but insiders insist Ashley is fully committed to selling the club and expect no last-minute complications, pending the League’s approval.
They say Ashley was ready to break his silence and tell fans that his 13-year reign is all but over last week.
However, it is now likely that any public statements will only be made when the takeover is given the green light by the Premier League, and that looks set to be within the next three weeks at the latest.
Saudi custom is to only announce once a deal is completed – Amanda Staveley is fronting deal