Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is said to be willing to lower his asking price for the club to £300million, according to the Shields Gazette.
The newspaper reports that the Sport Direct tycoon was looking for upwards of £380million when he put the Magpies up for sale last year, but that he has slashed the figure by £80million.
He has now decided to take a significant hit on his initial asking price, after numerous supporter protests against him before games this season, which will no doubt be music to the ears of the furious Toon Army.
Ashley was said to be in negotiations with a group led by Amanda Staveley in January, but the Shields Gazette say her offer of £250million was flatly refused by Ashley.
OPINION
This is truly terrific news for Newcastle supporters. Ashley has been a plague on the club ever since he purchased it, and his willingness to lower his asking price suggests that his time on Tyneside might be finally coming to an end. He wasn’t able to reach an agreement with Staveley in January, but perhaps she will be willing to enter into renewed talks now that Ashley is more open to negotiation on the price. The Sports Direct chief might have finally decided that Newcastle is more trouble than it’s worth, as the vitriol continues to spill against him from all quarters. He deserves to be protested against, of course. He has overseen two relegations and generally diminished what was once a proud, Champions League team. Rafael Benitez, like everyone in Newcastle, will surely be hoping that this news is true, as the Spaniard could sorely do with the backing of a competent owner.
