nbthree3

Another Telegraph update: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/10/06/newcastle-takeover-deal-back-saudi-buyers-clear-biggest-hurdle/?utm_content=football The takeover of Newcastle United by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public investment fund that will establish the club as of Europe’s most powerful operations is on the brink of being confirmed. Following intensive negotiations behind the scenes, that have been going on for weeks in secret, Telegraph Sport understands that Premier League lawyers were frantically working to finalise the completion of the takeover on Wednesday night in the hope they would be able to make an official announcement on Thursday. The deal, which will net current owner Mike Ashley around £305m, will transform Newcastle into one of the richest clubs in the world, backed by the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund. Staveley, who has fought tirelessly for this deal to happen, is expected to front the club, at least in the short term, at least until the Saudis feel comfortable in their new business venture. Ultimate control is then expected to shift to the new chairman and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan alongside a newly appointed Chief Executive Officer.

Ryder's saying 24 hours for a statement

90min:

BBC report now live

Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/06/newcastle-takeover-gets-boost-as-saudi-arabia-lifts-ban-on-bein-sports A Saudi Arabia-led consortium is close to finally taking over Newcastle United and ending Mike Ashley’s 14-year-old ownership of the club, with a deal expected to be approved imminently. Some sources have suggested the deal could even be completed within the next 24 hours – although others are more cautious – with Amanda Staveley, the British businesswoman, likely to be the face of the takeover on an interim basis before being moved aside. The development follows the news that Saudi Arabia has lifted its four-year ban on beIN Sports to allow Premier League, Uefa and Fifa matches to be broadcast legally in the country again and promised to tackle piracy. However the Guardian understands that the resolution of the piracy issue has not been a key factor in putting the deal, which was first mooted in March 2020, back on the table. Rather it has been about the Saudi backed public investment fund providing assurances that the Saudi state would not be involved in running Newcastle.

de Marco masterclass?

BBC going with the 24 hours

Ryder update: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-takeover-mike-ashley-21784896 Premier League chiefs are understood to be locked in talks with all parties as Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley pushes hard for the club's sale to be pushed through. A claim of 24 hours has already been reported by the Times of London, but the Premier League have declined to make any official comment on the situation after a whirlwind day. That said Ashley wants the deal done imminently and is keen to resolve any issues with the Premier League tonight. Ashley is believed to have informed the Premier League today that he is prepared to drop his arbitration case against the Premier League if the takeover gets the green light.

Bruce update: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle-takeover-steve-bruce-sack-b1933569.html Steve Bruce is unlikely to be sacked before the Newcastle United takeover is complete with Mike Ashley set to pass on the problem of the manager to the new owners. Sources close to the Saudi Arabian-backed £300 million buyout believe that the fraught deal will finally be completed this week. To dismiss the 60-year-old would cost the club in excess of £6m. It would require more investment to engage another manager. Ashely is likely to sidestep these decisions and pass them on to the new owners. There is little possibility of Bruce leaving of his own accord. Even though he has been ground down by the job he would be foolish to forgo the possibility of a payoff.

Yeah as above

Next 24 hours now!

Here comes Ryder! Newcastle United insiders believe that the club's takeover could now boil down to an out of court agreement between Mike Ashley and the Premier League. ChronicleLive understands that Ashley now feels there is no reason why the deal can't be pushed through - and as he has suggested before he feels the club is already sold. An insider close to the deal said: "Mike thought the club was sold in April 2020 and he believes he has a deal now. "It's all down to Mike and the Premier League now." And there is even a suggestion that the club's arbitration battle - set for January 2022 - could be dropped, paving the way for the Premier League to grant Amanda Staveley, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and the Reuben brothers to complete the £340million takeover they had set up for 2020. However, with the piracy row now out of the equation in the eyes of some, it is believed that Ashley may need only smooth over the legal row between himself, Richard Masters and top-flight officials. With the Premier League also keen to avoid some of the negative storylines emerging from the club's battle with the top-flight, both sides may be able to come to an agreement. Those within the consortium have stated before that Saudi Arabia - the country - would have no say in running the club. Suggestions from Qatar are that beIN's objection to the takeover would now be rescinded although that hasn't been officially confirmed yet. The Premier League, Newcastle United and the Middle East have all been approached for comment. The Premier League have declined to comment at this stage.

Few days away...

Edwards piece https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/10/06/newcastle-takeover-deal-back-saudi-buyers-clear-biggest-hurdle/ Saudi Arabia is ready to invite Mike Ashley back to the negotiating table after a major legal hurdle to the controversial Newcastle United takeover was cleared. A potential deal could be revived quickly as BeIN, the Qatari-owned broadcaster which owns the Premier League's TV rights for the Middle East, will confirm to the Premier League that its legal dispute with Saudi has eased. The Daily Telegraph understands there remains fierce appetite amongst the Saudi backers to buy into English top tier football - but there are lingering concerns around the £300 million price-tag previously demanded by Newcastle. There are also said to be question marks over Amanda Staveley and PCP Capital Partners' long-term involvement if a deal goes through. Staveley previously led on negotiations, but sources close to the potential deal claim representatives in Saudi regret failing to take a more hands-on approach in convincing the Premier League that the nation's Public Investment Fund was fit to take over the club. It has been suggested that she would now be handed a board position on an interim basis if a deal went through. Sources close to the broadcaster, which had warned rights values would plunge unless the row was resolved, said the pledge was "absolutely enormous for our business". Saudi's population of 40 million is rated as the biggest potential market in the Middle East and North Africa for BeIN. Saudi Arabian officials, who have maintained for months that BeIN's signals were not blocked, were contacted by the Daily Telegraph, but were unable to immediately verify the claim that its dispute with BeIN had been settled. However, one key figure in derailing the previous takeover attempt said: "There is now nothing legally stopping the takeover... The legal issue will be resolved; so it simply becomes a moral question for the the Premier League."

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