Richard Keys has claimed that Newcastle United are playing a “dangerous” game if the latest takeover speculation is designed to attract more interest in the Premier League club.
The Sun has reported that Mike Ashley has struck a deal worth £350million to sell Newcastle to billionaire Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan.
However former Sky Sports host Keys is uncertain about the validity of the claims, suggesting that it could just be a move made by Ashley to force others into speeding up their bids to buy the club off him.
“Not certain this Newcastle bid will be the one that gets over the line. If today’s news is designed to hurry others along its a dangerous gamble,” Keys said via his personal Twitter account on Monday morning.
Not certain this Newcastle bid will be the one that gets over the line. If today’s news is designed to hurry others along its a dangerous gamble. Good to see City on the front foot as well. Quite right too.
— Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) May 27, 2019
OPINION
Although Keys is not someone who Newcastle United fans would normally agree with, it’s understandable to see him making these claims. Newcastle fans have been there before when a potential buyer has been reported to be close to a takeover, only for the speculation to disappear into thin air. And it is also a sound point that this update by the Sun has been released as a way of trying to get other potential buyers to firm up their interest and make betters offers than what they might have been making. Either way, Newcastle supporters should not be getting their hopes up over Sheikh Khaled’s potential takeover. He is an Arab billionaire and that can cause a lot of excitement, but that excitement will soon turn to anger and disappointment if nothing comes of it. Ashley is not going to sell up easily and there has always been speculation among supporters that he loves a good publicity stunt to try and help sell up.