Former Manchester City CEO Garry Cook is behind a consortium interested in taking over Newcastle United, according to The Sun.
The newspaper report that Cook has put a group together to vie for the Magpies, with the funding believed to be coming from the United States.
The Sun claim that Cook knows current owner Mike Ashley from his stint at City and with sportswear giant Nike, so is said to have an ‘in’ with the Sports Direct tycoon.
OPINION
Peter Kenyon has been the only person explicitly named as being interested in a deal for Newcastle so far, with the former Premier League executive thought to be the most likely to win the race to take over at St. James’ Park. It is interesting then to see another former Premier League supremo linked with a move for the Magpies, with Cook having had experience at City in previous years. Cook has also been involved in the recent takeover of Wigan Athletic, and that bodes well for him as he has experience in the area. Kenyon’s backers have not been named but it is thought that his funding is also coming from America, which is a common theme across the board. Investors in the USA obviously see Newcastle as a prime opportunity at the moment, with the Premier League seen as a risk-free investment by many. Whatever happens it will be interesting to see, and this is certainly an exciting development for Newcastle fans.