Promising takeover claims arrive in new report - Are the Premier League about to crack?
A promising new report on the Saudi takeover saga has emerged from the Shields Gazette's Liam Kennedy today, revealing how the pressure placed on the Premier League over the past fortnight is having a positive effect.
He states 'sources close to the bid' believe there is now a 'growing sense of optimism' over the potential resurrection of a £300m deal, stating that intense pressure from whole host of influential politicians and widespread unrest from fans is making inroads both publicly and behind the scenes at Premier League level.
Kennedy also writes that, following talks between the buying and selling side, it's believed Mike Ashley will NOT demand another £17m deposit from the buyers should the deal be revived, with him already pocketing that non-refundable down-payment earlier on in the process.
The Gazette also reveal the consortium's latest message - "Keep the pressure up, it's working" - giving us fans extra incentive to continuing unsettling both the Premier League and their sponsors on social media, but also to write to our local MPs seeking answers.
The report also states that, depending on the Premier League's next move, both the Saudi-backed buyers and Mike Ashley are prepared to take legal action, posing another unwanted threat to top flight chiefs who've remained silent for almost FIVE months now.
Interestingly, Kenedy also claims that it's not yet clear if their offer has been completely withdrawn. Their statement a fortnight ago suggested they were pulling away, but the Gazette state that it's not yet 100% clear if the bid remains a 'live' on with the Premier League.
As the snippet from the above article states, it's also believed that all sides of the Saudi-consortium are willing to go through with the deal IF the problem of naming KSA as a majority shareholder can be sorted - something Staveley recently described as a completely unrealistic demand from the Premier League:
There is a willingness from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben Brothers to come back around the table with the Premier League, if the problem of naming KSA as the majority shareholder can be ironed out.
And sources close to the bid claim there is a growing sense of optimism around the potential purchase, with fan pressure and political angles seemingly making inroads in public and behind the scenes.
For all of our sanity, it's probably best if we stick with the mindset that the deal is still highly unlikely to go through, however if this should only give fans (and local MPs) more motivation to keep piling the pressure on the Premier League.
After all, this really is a takeover worth fighting for - not only for our sleeping giant of a football club, but for our deprived region in desperate need of investment.
Let's keep pushing!
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