"The club will be sold" - US group ready to buy but Saudis expected to seal £300m deal - Henry Winter
Some interesting comments on a Newcastle United takeover emerged late last night from Henry Winter - The Times' chief football correspondent and one of the countries most credible writers.
This came via Twitter (see his posts below), where revealed that a US group with British ties, 'long-term interest' and 'funds in place' are watching the current takeover delay with 'keen interest' - however he maintains that the Saudis remain favourites.
It may sound tedious to think this could drag on much longer or take another turn, but Winter's main and most promising point then followed, with him believing the one big consolation for Newcastle fans in this tedious takeover saga will be that "the club WILL be sold" at the end of all this - suggesting it'll be this mystery US consortium (who are 'not Henry Mauriss' lot') if its not the Saudis.
This is not to say the Saudi bid is about to be disapproved - with Winter insisting that the Saudi-backed consortium are still in pole position to seal a £300m deal, stating "££ talks loudest with the Premier League" and that both Staveley and the Reubens bring real 'credibility' to the table - but he reveals a few intriguing nuggets and gives us reason to be hopeful amidst the exhausting wait for good news:
Winter is just about as reputable as they come, so while he can not guarantee that the Saudi bid will be approved and all this will end positively ASAP, his comments at least help reassure us fans that there'll be a happy ending to this in some way or another.
Hopefully this Amanda Staveley-led bid is signed, sealed and delivered via the Premier League in the coming days/weeks, however the idea another group who are 'absolutely serious' about buying us are ready and waiting sounds like the back-up plan we need should this Saudi saga end in tears.
