Steve Wraith thinks that staying in the Premier League will be enough for Mike Ashley to get his sale of Newcastle United over the line.
The takeover saga has been going on for well over a year now and it took a rather interesting twist this week when it was revealed that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been involved in conversations with Prime Minister Boris Johnson about getting the Premier League to overturn their decision to not allow the takeover to go ahead last summer.
But speaking on the latest edition of NUFC Matters, Wraith believes that the takeover will ultimately come down to one simple thing – and that’s whether or not Newcastle United can stay in the Premier League, because that will dictate whether or not Mike Ashley is still committed to making the deal happen:
“I believe that if Newcastle United stay up this season, that takeover will go through.
“I think if we go down, it’s less likely, only because I don’t think Mike Ashley will want to change the price, he’ll want the full money back and a bit more on top, which is what he’s got with this Saudi offer.
“We’re gonna have to watch with interest, but we’ve given ourselves a hell of a chance of staying up and it’s not a reason to cheer it and be overjoyed. If it means that we stay up this season and we get that takeover that we’re all hoping for, it’s been a great thing.”
Do you think this takeover will happen?
No, Ashley should move on to another buyer
Yes, we just have to be patient
TIF Thoughts on Steve Wraith’s comments about the Newcastle United takeover…
Wraith seems to be putting a lot of pressure on the players at Newcastle to keep them in the division. And whilst they do look like they will stay up – with a six-point gap and a game in hand over 18th-placed Fulham – they are not totally out of the woods yet. But it does make it sound as if the players have the long-term future of the club on their shoulders.
And if they don’t want to be in this situation again, then they might need some new players at the club, and the best way to make that happen is to simply stay in the division and they might just get some crucial reinforcements in the summer – especially if Wraith’s prediction about the takeover becomes reality.
In other news: ‘The plot thickens’, ‘Disgrace’ – Many Newcastle fans fume over Lee Ryder’s update