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Will a buyer emerge for Newcastle United at last?

Byadmin

Apr 18, 2019 #NUFC

At the time of writing, Newcastle United sit ten points above the relegation zone in the Premier League, following another long and arduous season of struggles for fans to endure. Thankfully, another three points and favourable results elsewhere will practically ensure safety amongst the English football elite; at least for another season.

Not uncommon for many fans of football is betting on the outcome of games, although for those who do so and particularly online, it also makes good sense to carefully review the many different markets and bonus offers that sites have available. Those who backed Newcastle United in their last encounter away against Leicester City will have celebrated a precious victory, albeit in a muted way, given how long the team has been flirting with relegation.

Given the 2019 season is drawing to a close and fans are optimistically beginning to look at the next campaign, many are already beginning to wonder what following the Magpies will have in store for them. Nevertheless, a great deal of uncertainty remains while the club remains under the ownership of Mike Ashley, who has made no secret of his desire to sell the club since October 2017.


Image Source: Pixabay

Various potential buyers have come forward during that time, although nothing concrete has yet materialised. Promotion back to the Premier League at the end of the 2017-18 season made Newcastle United more appealing to investors, given the lucrative TV and sponsorship deals available, but with an asking price of between £300million and £400million on the table, it’s certainly a huge outlay for any party interested in taking over the club.

Former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon, was at the forefront of a consortium aiming to buy Newcastle United, with talks hitting the headlines in January 2019. Although this option appeared to be attractive to fans, given his excellent background in significantly boosting commercial and sporting operations at previous clubs, Kenyon was still in the process of looking for confirmed backers to support his intentions.

Prior to that, former Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook was reportedly heading an American consortium, leveraging his contacts in sport and business to match Ashley’s asking price, whilst also pledging to secure investments for much-needed improvements at the club. During his time at City, Cook successfully oversaw the construction of a Premier League title-winning team, along ensuring the club could boast some of the best training facilities in the world.


Image Source: Pixabay

Apparently conscious that most of the interest from investors is coming from the USA, including those behind the interest from Kenyon and Cook, there has been speculation that Ashley believes a combination of the two bids might serve the best interests of all parties. Likewise, hopes are growing that a deal can, at last, be secured before the start of next season. Understandably, this would be the best possible outcome in the eyes of Newcastle United fans.

They will be hoping that popular manager Rafa Benitez could then fully commit his future to the club, while also having the funds to significantly improve the squad. The Spaniard has long held the view that given the already high profile of Newcastle United, along with their passionate base of support, the club could genuinely challenge for silverware if it had the right backing from the boardroom.

For now, fans of the Magpies will have to remain patient. After so long since genuinely being contenders to win trophies, that’s hardly new territory, yet it’s not unrealistic to hope that a deal concluded this summer will not only materialise, but also bring the promise of renewed success for this historic giant of English football.

By admin