Matt Slater has been on the latest episode of The Athletic’s Pod On The Tyne, and has been discussing the failed takeover of Newcastle United by Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium.
Slater also discussed the bid from the Bellagraph Nova Group, and revealed what concerned him about the bid that emerged over the weekend.
It seems as if Slater feels that there is something up with the BN Group’s offer, because they have come in at £20m below Mike Ashley’s asking price – and to Slater, that suggests they don’t know Ashley well enough, and that even though he wants to sell, he won’t be bullied.
He said: “Ashley does not want to own [Newcastle] anymore.
“He has other headaches, fish to fry; he’s had enough, he won’t be bullied.
“There was something in the Bellagraph stuff that I just thought: are you lowballing Ashley right now?
“Because if you are lowballing him, then you really haven’t met him, or you haven’t met anybody who knows him, because this is a bloke who will not be lowballed from the get-go and will not lower his price because you’re telling journalists that that’s what you think his club is worth.”
Do you think Ashley will accept a lower price?
No
Yes
TIF Thoughts…
The Bellagraph Nova Group have defended their offer of £280m and claimed that it is to save money to buy players.
Still, Ashley has already dismissed that bid and will not entertain any bids that are not over what Amanda Staveley’s consortium agreed to pay.
This appears to be why Ashley is still committed to the Staveley deal and has not even directly spoken to the BN Group with the firm still in discussions with his lawyers.
Slater, therefore, doesn’t sound convinced by the BN Group because they have attempted to lowball Ashley with their first bid.