NUFC reporter reveals what his Saudi takeover sources are now saying for the first time - Good news
If yesterday's 3-0 win over Sheffield United was enough, some extremely positive claims on the takeover front then emerged late last night.
This comes after the usually cautious (dare I say pessimistic?) Craig Hope released a new piece for the The Mail, stating that his sources close to the £300m deal told him for the first time on Sunday night that it's finally 'close' - and expect the Saudi-backed bid to be APPROVED in a matter of days, barring any unforeseen last minute hitches.
Interestingly, this comes after TWO separate Saudi authorities pledged to clamp down on piracy over the weekend, something his sources insist is 'no accident' in relation to the takeover.
He also reports that the increased involvement of the UK government - who are 'keen' to strengthen their ties to Saudi - has also helped make the Premier League's mind up.
He's also just appeared on talkSPORT this morning, insisting once again that his reliable sources moved from 'cautious' to hugely optimistic on Sunday night.
So, both Craig Hope's latest piece and the promising Saudi movement that's emerged over the weekend suggests a compromise may have been found that allows both piracy to stop and a NUFC takeover to happen?
Here's a snippet from his latest piece for The Mail:
The Premier League are nearing an announcement on the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle with the expectation it will be approved, sources have told Sportsmail.
Those close to the process who have previously urged caution with regards timing are now saying they have been told a formal statement on the decision is close and, barring any further revelations, it could be this week.
They also believe the £300million deal is likely to go through given what they say has been an increased level of involvement by the UK government, who it is said are keen to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia.
Other sources close to the deal say it is ‘not by accident’ that two separate Saudi authorities yesterday pledged to clamp down on broadcast piracy in the country.
Not only that, there's been several other reporters to back up Hope's Sunday-night claims, with The Mirror's Simon Bird and chief writer Ollie Holt also suggesting good news is around the corner.
It may feel like we've been here before when it comes to a takeover being 'close', but with the WTO report released and the Saudis now clamping down on piracy, there's both positive signs emerging and no way this can drag on much longer.
After three draining months, could this Saudi takeover saga be set to finally end in good news this week? It's looking more and more likely!
