Reports – Newcastle Sale Could Be Done by December

Many Newcastle supporters have been wishing for the better part of a decade that Mike Ashley would sell the club, as the billionaire has been loathing to invest in the club to any significant degree since he took over in 2006. These supporters may soon be seeing their wish granted, as talks of a Newcastle takeover have escalated in the past week, with most of the focus being on English financier Amanda Staveley.

Arab News, who have interviewed Stavely a number of times in the past, are reporting from a source close to her that, while talks are still at an early stage, there is a sense of urgency that could lead to talks moving rather quickly, with a deal being potentially completed by the end of the year. However, there has yet to be an offer made, and Stavely has still not yet spoken with Mike Ashley regarding a possible acquisition,

Staveley was seen in attendance at the Newcastle-Liverpool match on Sunday and was a guest of Kenny Dalglish, according to Lee Ryder. Staveley also held talks with managing director Lee Charnley, Ashley’s PR head Keith Bishop, and Justin Barnes, who is believed to be charged by Ashley with identifying and vetting potential buyers. Stavely is said to have left St. James’ Park impressed with the atmosphere and the set-up of the club.

Staveley, who in the past has managed the investment interests of Middle Eastern parties, has been involved in a number of high-profile takeovers, most notably the 2008 investment of 3.5 billion by Sheikh Mansour for a 16% stake in Barclays as well as the purchase of Manchester City that same year. However, despite earlier reports to the contrary, Staveley was not taking in the Sunday match on anyone’s behalf but that of her firm, PCP Capital Partners, as she intends to be the principal investor in any purchase of Newcastle United. PCP currently manages an investment portfolio on behalf of Arab and Chinese investors valued at around $37 billion.

As with any attempts at doing a business of this magnitude, news will come in bursts with significant lulls in between, so it would be important for supporters to not read into silence as a lack of movement. As always, stay locked onto Coming Home Newcastle for the latest.