OPINION
This time last month, most Newcastle United fans would have look at you like you had two heads if you’d asked them their thoughts on the Bin Zayed Group.
The mysterious consortium might as well have come from an alien planet for all the Toon Army knew about them.
Fast forward a few weeks, however, and you’ll struggle to find a Geordie who isn’t well-versed in the familial heritage and political hierarchy of the Arab royal household.
Rumours and speculation have swelled and swirled, but for all of the chatter and excitement, there has been little in the way of concrete information.
The occasional proclamation of intent from Sheikh Khaled’s people has served to stoke to fires of anticipation at St. James’ Park, but that aside, there has been nothing, and as doubt has continued to grow over the extent to which the word of the Sheikh can be trusted, it feels as if progress has ground to a halt almost as rapidly as it began.
Given the lack of updates available to fans, it will come as a real worry to hear the latest thoughts from the Times journalist Duncan Castles.
Speaking on the Transfer Window podcast, as quoted by the Daily Star, he delivered a stark appraisal of the current situation.
He said: “I think it’s a long shot, I think for the reasons we explained when we talked about that bid that’s been presented from a distant, relatively distant member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, that we had scepticism in the city of London as to whether a deal was actually in place.”
Castles’ comments will come as a real worry for a fanbase at their wit’s end, and the fact that he talks about a broader scepticism from London is not a promising sign.
All the Toon Army can do is pray that he is wrong.