Amanda Staveley has tabled a new bid in excess of £300million to buy Newcastle United, but Mike Ashley won’t make a decision until next month, according to the Daily Express.
The newspaper claim that even though Staveley has increased her offer, after her first bid was rejected, Ashley wants to wait for the new Premier League TV deal to be announced in February.
The Daily Express report that Ashley still wants to sell, but with rumours that a new TV deal would lead to a bumper pay day for clubs, he wants to delay a decision.
The new TV deal is expected to see clubs receiving way more than £5.14 billion, and could hamper any takeover deal because it increases the value of the club.
The same report also reveals that there are new fears that Rafa Benitez will leave the club at the end of the season, if Staveley fails to buy the Magpies.
OPINION
After dominating the headlines, news of a Newcastle United takeover went quiet. However, fans had not given up hope that a deal could still be reached with them unhappy over Ashley’s care of the club. Ashley originally wanted to sell the club before Christmas and his failure to do so, looks like it has cost the Magpies in the January transfer window. Benitez’s side have yet to sign anyone, and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. While Ashley could see the value of his club potentially increase due to a new TV deal, by the time it’s announced it might not matter. The Magpies face the real threat of relegation, and could be looking more likely for the drop by the time it’s revealed. This threat of relegation would see the value of the club drop, no matter the TV deal.