We thought it would be reasonably plain sailing when it was announced yesterday that Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed al-Nahyan had agreed to buy the club from Mike Ashley.
Before any bid is lodged a deep dive is done on the financial books, and that’s one of the things that takes time with a takeover.
You need to do this to know what you are buying for what is big money.
But if the Sun report was accurate yesterday that must already have been done since the signed contracts from both sides have already been sent to the Premier League.
Now there is news in the Chronicle that suggests the takeover will not be completed until July – and after the current contract Rafa has at Newcastle runs out.
If this news is accurate today – it makes it even more difficult for Rafa Benitez
Good job Rafa has nerves of steel and a robust character
Why is it always the case – if this is true – that an Ashley run Newcastle is always in such a mess?
The Chronicle has posted this from journalist Ben Jacobs, an ESPN journalist based in Dubai.
“Bin Zayed Group sources say they don’t expect a takeover to be complete before Benitez’s contract expires on June 30.”
“Will be on Mike Ashley (and the impending lure of a possible new owner. If that happens) to persuade him to stay.”
“Notion Sheikh Nehayan wants Benitez to stay as a priority is also solely based on a respect for him from his Liverpool and Real Madrid days and a meeting just before he joined Chelsea.”
“But Wenger, with links to the UAE, and Mourinho are also out of work.”
“Point is Bin Zayed Group are making it clear their priority is to acquire the club not decide on a manager.”
“They see no reason to replace Benitez, but also accept he may go before they arrive.”
And this is a piece from Chris Waugh from the Chronicle about where Rafa stands:
“Despite the confusion which has reigned on Tyneside so far this week, Benitez has been told that it is “business as usual” as far as the United hierarchy is concerned.”
“And that, at least in the immediate term, Ashley is going to remain owner, so it is the retailer with who the Spaniard must continue his complex contract-extension negotiations.”
Newcastle will have to move in the transfer market well before the takeover – if indeed it’s supposed to be July when the acquisition will happen.
So we have the strange case that Rafa can bring in players through the end of June – guided by owner Mike Ashley.
And then if his contract is not renewed before June 30th, who takes the training when the players come back for preseason training on July 4th?
And who takes the first team squad to China for the Premier League Asia Trophy?
But remember, Ashley did a similar thing back in 2009 after we were relegated.
He wouldn’t appoint Alan Shearer as manager and then in late June, days before the players were to report back to training, he named the only two coaches we had – Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood to take over the management of the team.
The rest is history – because they and our players did an outstanding job for the club – and we will never forget that.
But that was still crazy and irresponsible management from the owner – and it looked at the time like he didn’t care one iota.
It seems inconceivable that Rafa will not be involved continuously until and after the club is acquired by Sheikh Khaled this summer.
If this state of affairs the Chronicle is reporting today is true, then it’s a real mess.
And Ashley’s hand is on this – he’s disorganized at best.
But we’ll leave it there.
We find it very hard to believe this is the actual state of affairs at Newcastle right now.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
192 comments so far
Lovem or Hatem
May 28, 2019 at 2:38 PM
Comment #1Ben Jacobs
?Verified account @JacobsBen
9m9 minutes ago
I think a lot hinges on proof of funds. But at the moment #NUFC insiders appear skeptical. This hardly suggests an imminent official announcement. But as those who have lived in the UAE will attest, things can move at super- or snail- speed and thus change very quickly
Does he sound like someone in the know?
Nostradamus the Geordie
May 28, 2019 at 2:38 PM
Comment #2Here we go again with Ashley.
Link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c3DcChXNyYQ
Thump
May 28, 2019 at 2:39 PM
Comment #3I honestly wonder if Fatman would actually pass the F&P test these days.
toon22
May 28, 2019 at 2:40 PM
Comment #4The same old lies for the same old reason
It’s never MAs fault
toon22
May 28, 2019 at 2:43 PM
Comment #5You can see exactly how this is going to pan out
We will get to August with no sale and no manager
The transfer budget will vanish again
And we will be left exactly where we usually are,MA will have gotten exactly what he wanted and we will have been mugged off
Again
toon22
May 28, 2019 at 2:44 PM
Comment #6You would think nobody would be that brazen with a lie this big
I think the FA should take a look at our owner
RobLeenio
May 28, 2019 at 2:49 PM
Comment #7Wow, bit of anger just breaking out. Ed, don’t believe what you read in the Chronicle – there are posters on your very own blog with far more of an idea of what’s going on than the likes of Lee Ryder.
L or H, he doesn’t sound like someone in the know, he sounds like someone using guesswork to makea name for himself on tw@tter.
Thump, given his treatment of his staff at Shirebrook, maybe he wouldn’t, but there are no other reasons for excluding him (bankruptcy, insolvency, convictions for illegal financial activities)
toon22, let’s see how it pans out, eh?
Looneytoon
May 28, 2019 at 2:51 PM
Comment #8Toon22 I hope you are wrong but all this nonsense of taking until after Rafas contract is up is a big worry. Will this be Ashley’s parting shot, sell up and hope we lose Rafa/Rondon. One thing is for sure it’s Ashley fault if anything goes wrong with this sale.
GS
May 28, 2019 at 2:51 PM
Comment #9Hang on there Ed mate. The Chronicle have had about 8 different stories in the last 24 hours so why should this one be true? They are loving the clicks. Mark Douglas is saying he told us all there was something afoot. Nevermind that all he said was that there was still interest in buying NUFC with no specifics or timeframe.
Swlabr
May 28, 2019 at 2:52 PM
Comment #10oldarse…..what?
Yorkgeordie
May 28, 2019 at 2:53 PM
Comment #11Talk Sport, this morning, were saying this Sheik is no relation to the guy at man city and he’s got no money. The whole thing stinks of Bishop and I wouldn’t put it past hm to pay this ‘skint sheik’ to put this story out.
Looneytoon
May 28, 2019 at 2:55 PM
Comment #12Ed … FYI I’m getting the same problem I had before, I’m sweendog yet when I post it’s coming up as a looneytoon, somehow the usernames are getting corrupted. I’m using an iPhone if that helps work out why.
Lovem or Hatem
May 28, 2019 at 2:55 PM
Comment #13@ Rob
There is so much speculation going at the moment, it is difficult to know who to believe. I think you are right that probably Ben Jacobs doesn’t know what is going on.
I think i remember with the MCFC takeover there was an announcement that a deal had been agreed pending on the paperwork going thru with the FA and EPL, which would take 2 weeks.
Looneytoon
May 28, 2019 at 2:57 PM
Comment #14Yorkgeordie.. if true this stinks alright. It’s the same every window, id hate to see what will happen if this isn’t true and another delay tactic.
JP...from The Rock
May 28, 2019 at 2:58 PM
Comment #15This worries me;
http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2019/05/28/north-east-reporter-reveals-his-theory-behind-sheikh-khaled-takeover-could-this-be-true/
He had better not be up to his dirty tricks again!!
GS
May 28, 2019 at 2:58 PM
Comment #16I think all at The Chronicle and Mark Douglas need one of those giant foam hands you see at American Baseball games so they can pat each other on the back for telling us absolutely nothing about this supposed takeover.
Bobbybee
May 28, 2019 at 2:59 PM
Comment #1722, I think the FA, PL and Sky all need to look at themselves. The money received from them to NUFC is to help the club, not the clubs owner. Its for football, not House Of Frazier.
If Ashley is taking it out of the game then stop paying him. We’re not his piggy bank. The money is to improve the football club. There’s surely a limit on how much an owner can pay himself? If not, why not?
It’s not his money, it belongs to NUFC – and he separated to two for his own greedy reasons. NUFC earns the money, not him, so it belongs to NUFC – separate from Ashley. If he takes money out apart from a reasonable wage, is that not fraud? I’m no expert obviously, but it all sounds dodgy to me.
Swlabr
May 28, 2019 at 3:00 PM
Comment #18oldarse…..what?
Looneytoon
May 28, 2019 at 3:00 PM
Comment #19for anyone interested I went to settings and whoever looneytoon is also has a username shaytostay. Weird
Jail for Ashley
May 28, 2019 at 3:03 PM
Comment #20Surely our benign and generous owner wouldn’t dream up an elaborate hoax with his upstanding colleagues in the hope of signing up Rafa to an unfavourable contract with the promise of good times ahead. Noooo!!!
Optimistic Panda
May 28, 2019 at 3:04 PM
Comment #21We all know why the press write their stories.
Why would The Bin Zayed group release a statement saying “terms agreed” if they had no intention to buy.
In that part of the world is putting out false claims good business practice?
Jail for Ashley
May 28, 2019 at 3:05 PM
Comment #22It might sound far fetched but there are 100M’s of pounds at stake and Ashley knows how important it is to keep Rafa but doesn’t want to pay. Hey presto enter the fake Sheikh 😮
ShaytoStay
May 28, 2019 at 3:06 PM
Comment #23Now I’m shaytostay!!!!
GS
May 28, 2019 at 3:07 PM
Comment #24It seems that the Journalists are just reacting to what other journalists are saying now. I think we might need 10,000 cockney’s in some Asian 3rd world country to take their minds off a NUFC takeover. Maybe 70,000 cockerneys and scousers smashing up bars in Madrid will do it?
Jail for Ashley
May 28, 2019 at 3:09 PM
Comment #25Rsfa being threatened with Mourinho and Wenger to make him sign up, this is getting ridiculous.
Bobbybee
May 28, 2019 at 3:10 PM
Comment #26OP, that’s, my point about respect and honour. Would anybody with either behave in this manner? It all sounds very dodgy to me, the longer it goes on. Why, if the, papers have been submitted and only await F&P persons check, would it then take until JUNE for the deal to go ahead?
This sounds like a deliberate hoax. Who would do that? Who’s interest is it in? Nuff said really.
Swlabr
May 28, 2019 at 3:10 PM
Comment #27Looneytoon…are you shaytostay or looneytoon?
Yorkgeordie
May 28, 2019 at 3:10 PM
Comment #28Are we sure that The Bin Zayed Group released this statement or did someone say ‘a source said’
Charlie in the Gallowgate
May 28, 2019 at 3:11 PM
Comment #29Anyone think a year on from today we will still be in the same place????
mac the jaffrey
May 28, 2019 at 3:11 PM
Comment #30Ok so this Ben Jacobs fella seems to be based in the Middle East and works for Bein sports and ESPN.
He’s going to have an idea of what’s what just as our own Mickey does so should be taken a bit more seriously in my eyes. Could be a waiting game for a bit longer than we’d hoped but then again it may not! As he says, and I’m sure Mickey would agree, things work differently out there so could be snails pace one minute then suddenly kick into life. For me Rafa would need something writing in his small print in regards to the distinct possibility of signing a contract with one owner then fulfilling it under another.
Have faith boys, ignore the lazy journalism going on and stick with those that genuinely are going to know what they’re talking about and we’ll be reet.
Dubaimickey your steadying hand might be needed for a while yet!
Swlabr
May 28, 2019 at 3:11 PM
Comment #31shaytostay…are you shaytostay or looneytoon?
Bambams
May 28, 2019 at 3:11 PM
Comment #32Optimistic Panda
#21
Spot on fella.
The press have to create stories for sales of papers or click bait.
The Bin Zayed Group are very well organised, respected and professional – they would lose so much credibility to do this merely as self advertising/publicity.
It would be foolish for local press to just give out one version, done deal !
Yorkgeordie
May 28, 2019 at 3:12 PM
Comment #33Charlie;
Me
GS
May 28, 2019 at 3:14 PM
Comment #34I know this is a tangent, but can you imagine what sort of hell it will be with 40,000 scousers in central Madrid on a “mini-break” for 3 days with no hotel rooms? Trafalgar Square had it easy with the Mackems in comparison.
Swlabr
May 28, 2019 at 3:14 PM
Comment #35oldarse…what?
Yorkgeordie
May 28, 2019 at 3:14 PM
Comment #36Ah Ben Jacobs said ‘a source said’
BANDWBURNABY
May 28, 2019 at 3:15 PM
Comment #37Consider the scenario, Fatty in contract negotiations with Raffa for quite a while presumably sitting round table. Fatty all smiles & lying through his teeth not mentioning the deal he is making in next room with the Arabs. It looks as though Raffa just found out about sale from press lol How can anyone believe this fat leech? Worse yet is how can Raffa consider working for this poor impersonation of a human being?
RobLeenio
May 28, 2019 at 3:15 PM
Comment #38GS, nobody ever said we were bad copy, that’s for sure.
L or H, none of them have a clue, but if you strip it back to the bare bones, the Sheik’s people said there was an agreement and they would be making another announcement through their Finance Director in a few days. NUFC representatives said that the statement from the buyer was ‘accurate’.
I’m not going to take the word of some tinpot hack I’ve never heard of before over that, less than 24 hours after the fact.
Yorkgeordie
May 28, 2019 at 3:15 PM
Comment #39Who’s Ben Jacobs ?
Bambams
May 28, 2019 at 3:16 PM
Comment #40Jail
It might turn out the new owners might want their own manager.
I find it odd Rafa did not know about this mind, whether this is true or not. If Ash/CharnLIE have kept it from him, well it shows what relationship he has with them – pretty sure Rafa is trustworthy.
Time will tell, hey we could have KK back with Big Al – just never know 🙂