Mike Ashley admits he helped ruin huge takeover with multi-billionaire investors - Report
As revealed by the Times, Mike Ashley has admitted to making a “regrettable remark” after Dubai-based takeover talks in 2008 - something that's believed to have blown his chances of selling the club to wealthy Middle-Eastern investors.
The comes after news that the NUFC owner is now in the middle of a legal battle with the ex-director Tony Jimenez, who's accused Ashley of making insulting comments about the Dubai Royal Family, the Islamic faith and Kevin Keegan.
Ashley has denied most of the allegations, but has admitted that he may have made what he's described as a 'regrettable remark' towards the Middle-Eastern group of investors who had been negotiating a deal to complete a takeover at Newcastle United just earlier that day.
Here's a snippet from The Times' latest piece on the matter:
"Mike Ashley has admitted he may have made a “regrettable remark” during a bar room incident in Dubai which is alleged to have cost him the chance to sell Newcastle United to Middle Eastern investors.
"The Newcastle owner, who is engaged in a potentially explosive legal battle with the former club director Tony Jimenez, is accused by Jimenez of making insulting comments about the Dubai Royal Family, the Islamic faith and Kevin Keegan more than a decade ago."
It's even been suggested that Ashley 'feared jail time in the UAE' after 'insulting Dubai royal family’
Exactly what this remark was is not yet known and I doubt it ever will be if he can help it, but it seems Ashley has practically admitted to playing a major role in ruining what could've been a game changing deal for the club.
It's not made clear who exactly he insulted in these latest findings from court, but it was reported last year that it current Man City billionaire Sheikh Mansour who was the man he was in talks with during this 'incident' in Dubai over 10 years ago.
Just when you think Ashley couldn't get much worse in the eyes of us Newcastle United fans..
