Newcastle United will be approached with a takeover bid by American media mogul Henry Mauriss if their sale to a Saudi Arabian consortium is rejected, claims the Daily Mirror.
Last week Amnesty International made clear its objection to Newcastle being bought by a Saudi consortium, on account of their human rights record, as did one of the Premier League’s main broadcaster partners, beIN Sports, and as a result the bid is under “intense scrutiny”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For analysis of the biggest sport stories - and a concise, balanced take on the week’s news - try The Week magazine. Start your trial today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Honourable man
If the Saudi bid, which is fronted by British businesswoman Amanda Staveley, is rejected then Mauriss will step into the breach with what the Mirror claims is a £350m offer.
Apparently he has been “negotiating with current owner Mike Ashley since last year”, and his interest remains active despite the arrival on the scene of the Middle East consortium.
The Mirror quotes an associate close to Mauriss saying: “He’s a charitable and honourable man - and is desperate to become Newcastle’s new owner. It’s a genuine bid.”
Jail time
Mauriss may be genuine, says the Daily Mail, but not everyone involved in the American offer is squeaky clean.
The paper alleges that the £350m deal is being brokered by Chris Ronnie, a “disgraced close associate of Sports Direct boss Ashley”.
Ronnie was jailed in 2014 for four years for a £1m fraud while in charge of former sportswear company JJB Sports, and the Mail - which claims he and Ashley go back a long way - says that he “brought the American bid to the table in January, but he would have no further involvement if a deal was reached”.
For the time being, however, Ashley is focused solely on the Saudi bid. The Mail alleges that he is “locked into an exclusivity period until early May” on account of accepting Staveley’s letter of intent to buy and he can have no further discussions with interested partners as a result.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For analysis of the biggest sport stories - and a concise, balanced take on the week’s news - try The Week magazine. Start your trial today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
-
August 23 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday's political cartoons include deficit dimness, steamroller-in-chief, and more
-
5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purgeCartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
-
How do new stadiums affect football clubs?In the Spotlight Everton's decision to move its men's team out of Goodison Park could be a catalyst for vital change, but there are cautionary tales too
-
Liverpool's Anfield redemption: how did they do it?Talking Point Arne Slot's blueprint and standout player performances guide the Reds to record 20th league title
-
Where are all the English football managers?Talking Point Eddie Howe's Carabao Cup success underlines absence of homegrown coaching talent in the Premier League
-
New Trafford: can it fix Manchester United's footballing problems?Talking Point Plan for £2 billion stadium despite staff job losses and lack of success on the pitch
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
-
Is a new English football regulator an own goal for the game?Talking Point PM hails 'historic moment for football fans' but West Ham owner warns it could 'ruin' Premier League
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden bootfeature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
