A lot of Newcastle United fans have replied to a post from NUFC 360, which has relayed news from the Daily Mirror regarding Henry Mauriss.
A report has claimed that he has been given a deadline of 14th August to agree a deal with Mike Ashley for the sale of the Toon, with Mauriss understood to be willing to pay £350 million.
Mauriss’ interest in buying Newcastle has been around since April.
Now that Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium has pulled out, Mauriss has a free run at trying to seal a deal for Newcastle.
However, these Toon fans do not want Mauriss as the owner of their club.
Do you want Mauriss as owner?
Yes, anyone over Ashley
No, he seems dodgy
Not enough to purchase the club outright but he’s just a chancer that is currently under investigation in the USA for fraud, and for that reason alone he wouldn’t pass the O&D test unless he was cleared of it
— CORRUPT-EPL-FOOTBALL ??-NUFC (@CheekyNUFC) August 2, 2020
Might as well be the two Ronnies steering negotiations – it’s goodnight from Mauriss and its goodnight from him!
Masters will just sit on the deal for 4 months unless the top 6, the Qataris, Bein, Cengiz & amnesty international give the go ahead.
Anyone else to run it past!— Ronnie Gill (@RonnieG27687778) August 2, 2020
One fan even speculated that the fact Mauriss has been given a deadline must mean that PIF are now out of the picture, with Mauriss also allegedly willing to pay £350 million.
Guess this means PIF are most definitely done with resurrecting the deal! It’s so over! Damn
— marc gonzales (@KainedButAble) August 2, 2020
I suspect a takeover by Mauriss, assuming it could pass the ODT given Mauriss’ ongoing FBI issues, would be a disaster (worse than remaining with Ashley). It just smells like a Glazers style takeover, borrowing money and then putting the debt back onto the club.
— Ben Robson (@brobson_sport) August 2, 2020
Can’t wait. pic.twitter.com/XuXmvMYamn
— Mark Postlethwaite (@Postle_MA) August 2, 2020
The piece from the Mirror also claims that convicted fraudster Chris Ronnie will broker the deal, which has not gone down well with these Toon fans.
Chris Ronnie the convicted fraudster talking to Henry Mauriss who apparently is being investigated by the FBI ? pic.twitter.com/1SZoc4Vxr2
— W1LL14M (@william19368399) August 2, 2020
This is one deal that cannot be allowed. Complete fraud. ‘steering the deal’ means he is pulling the cash from Mauriss. Can’t be allowed
— rtg123 (@rtg123uk) August 2, 2020
Chris Ronnie – Convicted Fraudster ?????
— David Fletcher ?? (@DFletcher912) August 2, 2020
Staveley’s consortium withdrew its offer last week, and now Ashley is open to selling the club to anyone. Mauriss must now prove he has the money to complete a sale by submitting a deposit.
If he can’t do that, then it is perhaps unlikely Ashley will let the deal reach the next stage and he could be stuck with Newcastle – and Toon fans could be stuck with him.
It will be interesting to see if Mauriss arranges a deal by 14th August or fails to meet that deadline.
There is thought to be other interest in Newcastle, but it seems as if Mauriss is the only possible bidder to emerge at the moment since the Staveley deal was withdrawn.