In an exclusive interview with This Is Futbol, Rob Lee, who made 267 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United, has made the shock claim that Toon fans would take relegation this season if it meant Mike Ashley sold the club.
Newcastle picked up a valuable point against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday just before Fulham surrendered a 1-0 lead to Aston Villa, giving the Magpies a three-point gap to the drop zone now.
Will Newcastle have new owners next season?
Yes!
No!
Mike Ashley thought he had eventually sold the club and got out of Tyneside when he accepted an offer from PCP Capital Partners, only for the Premier League to block the deal during their owners and directors tests.
Speaking on why Newcastle fans could take relegation this season, and what potential the club has with the right owner, Lee told This Is Futbol:
“I think Newcastle fans would take relegation, not that this will ever happen because Ashley isn’t bothered about relegation, but I think they would take that if the club was to be sold.
“If they got someone in who had a vision to pull the club back to where it can be because it is such a great club, it could be enormous.
“It’s a huge club, and it’s just waiting for somebody to come in and spend money on it.”
Newcastle, Ashley and the Premier League are currently embroiled in a legal battle regarding the failed takeover, with Ashley claiming the league didn’t treat the new potential owners fairly.
On the pitch, the Magpies put in a much-improved performance against Spurs compared to the defeat they suffered against Brighton before the international break.