Mike Ashley 'confident' £340m Saudi takeover will go through & new arbitration details emerge - Report

A year on from striking a deal with Amanda Staveley's Saudi-backed consortium, The Chronicle claim that Mike Ashley has told those close to him that the PIF buyout remains the one and only takeover in town.

The same piece also claims that the NUFC owner is 'confident' that a £340m WILL be pushed through via arbitration - however it may be a few months yet before it reaches a conclusion, one way or another.

Lee Ryder reports that 'those close to the bidding side' believe the arbitration result will not arrive until the summer 'at the earliest', with them all but ruling out a final decision before the 2020/21 Premier League season is completed.

So, a frustrating wait for answers looks set to continue, however The Chronicle insist that Mike Ashley is hopeful he'll sell up at St James' Park and hand the keys over to ambitious new owners in time for pre-season.

It's been clear for some time that the deal is agreed from a financial perspective - providing we stay up - but has been blocked by the Premier League.

Only time will tell if that decision can be reversed via the help of Nick De Marco QC and Co.

For now, let's just hope our Premier League status is sealed over the coming weeks and that is followed by the Saudi-backed takeover we've all been dreaming of.

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