Saudi buyers offered TWO ways to resurrect £300m takeover by Premier League - Sky Sports
The minutes have emerged from the NUST's meeting with the Premier League's Richard Masters this week (you can read them in full here), and the key line that has emerged is that the 'door is still open' for a Saudi-backed takeover to be resurrected.
That said, something will need to change if and when they come back to the table, and well respected Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has revealed TWO ways the consortium can now move forward.
Here's what he posted on Twitter, along with his latest comments on Sky Sports News:
"The Newcastle United supporters (NUST) were told that a possible takeover with the Saudi-backed consortium led by Amanda Staveley was still a possible on two grounds.
"The first of those is that if the consortium return to the table with the information requested by the Premier League either proving or disproving their alleged links to the Saudi government.
"And the second is if they take up the unanswered option of independent arbitration."
For me we’re at an impasse and whilst I maybe 100% wrong, I feel we may be near closure after reading the NUST update following their meeting with Richard Masters on Wednesday.
It’s quite clear that the deal is still saveable but there’s only one party that can revive it and that’s The PIF - not loyal NUFC fans who have done all they can now in response to the consortium’s rallying call three weeks ago.
For me, however, I worry we may have lost the PIF as they are now the silent ones and have not been given much wiggle room from the Premier League. Instead, it seems the ball is just back in their court with all the terms of a potential deal (which they pulled out of) still the same.
That said, questions still remain as to why and how the Premier League took so long to even consider the takeover and then even longer to not decide? That still looks wrong and even slightly corrupt. But it’s happened and it’s obvious we’re never going to get to the bottom of that one, with Masters' answers always very guarded and defensive.
So, is it the additional information or arbitration? Well it has been widely reported by anyone that has been prepared to break cover from the consortium that they feel there is no more information for them to give so that’s an impasse again.
As for arbitration? Well look up the dictionary description of that! No decision was made so there’s nothing to arbitrate and we know the Saudi’s feel that and therefore this is not really an option.
Yes, Chi Onwurah has launched her petition which might fan the flames and keep the fire burning and there’s still the rumoured threat of legal action from Ashley. But are these now slim hopes and actually dying embers rather than flame-stokers? Feels like it to me.
The fans were asked to do their bit and boy did they ever. I honestly believe that no other fanbase cares about their club more than we do and no-one would have fought any harder. But we’re done or at least we have nothing more to offer. Only the Saudi consortium can save this now, it seems.
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