Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is still open to selling the club but will now demand that any potential investors are forthcoming with proof of funds before entering discussions, according to the Chronicle.
The newspaper claim on the live blog on their website (11:19) that despite reports suggesting the British businessman had taken the Magpies off the market, he is still looking to finding a new owner for the club.
However, having suffered a six-figure loss due to Peter Kenyon’s in-depth research into the club’s finances and the like, without the former Premier League chief showing the colour of his money, Ashley is now said to be demanding that anyone else who approaches him must demonstrate they have the cash to splash before engaging in talks.
Opinion
A six figure sum is like pocket change to Ashley and his millions but the businessman is so stringent with his spending that it will have felt like a massive blow to his wallet. It seems as though Kenyon was not able to provide the money that the current owner was looking for in negotiations and while it was probably not a case of the potential suitor wasting his time, it definitely seems to have irked Ashley. These new demands will ward off any frivolous advances and might keep investors away if they feel they cannot meet the owner’s asking price, which is what he wants. It is not great news for the Toon Army, who will be hoping to get rid of Ashley as soon as possible, but it does at least stop their hopes being dashed once again after both Amanda Staveley and Kenyon’s proposed deals ended up as nothing.