George Caulkin reveals what Saudis were told by the Premier League in update on takeover timescale
With him one of the most credible North-East reporters and the man who saw proof of Amanda Staveley's previous attempts to buy the club, it's fair to say George Caulkin has an inbox full of questions from anxious NUFC fans.
Today, he's been asked for updates about the 'Fit and Proper Owners test' the Saudi-backed consortium are currently being put through, with this believed to be the only thing standing in the way of their £300m deal to end Mike Ashley's miserable 13-year stint at St James' Park.
When asked for an update on the current state of play, George Caulkin revealed that the directors tests began straight after the official exchanges and documents were submitted to the Premier League 'around April 9th', which will be two weeks ago this Wednesday.
As you can see above (and below), he states that the Saudis were told it would take 'up to FOUR weeks' for the tests to be completed.
With all of that in mind, my maths tells me we should know whether or not they've been given the Premier League 'green light' by the 7th or 8th May - although George has stressed it could be sooner:
Although we're facing an anxious wait, with some finding it unbearable despite widespread claims that there'll be no hiccups, it seems we all need to "chill oooot" as George says and remain patient.
