Martin Samuel tells Sky Sports News that £300m Saudi takeover will now go through
Martin Samuel has just told Sky Sports that the proposed Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United is 'genuine' and should now go through - despite a late flurry of complaints.
This represents a significant shift in stance from Mike Ashley's go-to guy in the media - who was part of his shameless PR interview in 2019 - with him now changing his tune and insisting the deal is real and expected to be completed.
Here's what he's had to say when speaking on Sunday Supplement - shown on Sky Sports News in the last few moments:
"I think this one's genuine.
"I think this one goes through.
"I think it works as a business proposition."
A bit of a U-turn from Samuel, but one that suggests complaints from BeIN Sports and Amnesty International will have NO bearing on the Saudi-backed bid.
He first stated that ‘alarm bells were ringing’ last week, suggesting Staveley was yet to agree on a price – despite widespread reports confirming all elements of the deal were ‘agreed’ – and then reported that Mike Ashley will come away with £17m if the deal collapses, choosing to side with the idea of it falling through even when such a huge non-refundable deposit was a clear sign that it was happening.
A few days later, however, he's not only reported (in his latest column for The Mail) that a deal is a matter of when not if, but appears to have accepted defeat on Sky Sports this morning.
Time to re-stock the fridge with a few more cans?
