I’m fairly convinced that all of the groups previously interested in Newcastle were genuine or genuinely looked into the possibility of a purchase, it’s too far fetched to say these people were somehow engineered by Mike to self sabotage.
On the flip side I strongly suspect that Ashley and his associates have leaked stuff in the past about interest in the club and any potential takeovers for his own benefit, main reason being to avoid having to spend money in the short term and create uncertainty at the club. Also to plant the seed with supporters that he was a keen seller when in reality he wasn’t. It doesn’t mean those groups weren’t real but Ashley is an opportunist who will exploit a situation whenever he can.
Hopefully this time complete silence from the club means he is a committed seller and this will be different.