Sam Allardyce believes that Mike Ashley wants to sell Newcastle United, and that his £300 million valuation of the club is not excessive.
However, he thinks their position in the Premier League is what is putting off potential buyers.
The former Magpies boss was the first managerial casualty of the owner’s tenure, having been appointed to the post by previous chairman Freddy Shepherd.
But speaking on talkSPORT, as quoted by the Chronicle, Big Sam seemingly defended Ashley’s efforts to find a new owner for the Toon Army.
He said: “I think he genuinely wants to sell Newcastle.
“What surprises me, if it’s £300 million [the asking price], I don’t think that’s excessive. I really don’t.
“If the club was stable around 11th or 12th in the Premier League then I think you would get that buyer. The purchaser at this moment is saying, am I buying a Premier League club or am I buying a Championship club?”
OPINION
Allardyce might not believe that £300 million is an excessive price tag, but he has inadvertently hit the nail on the head with his assessment of Ashley’s attempts to sell Newcastle. If the club was thriving and performing at a standard that it should realistically be expected to, then maybe £300 million would be a decent asking price, but like Big Sam himself says, potential buyers haven’t got a clue whether they’re investing in a Premier League side or a Championship one, and that’s a huge difference. Add to that the fact that Ashley’s lack of investment in playing staff has left the club scraping the barrel and well below the level it should be, and that £300 million then becomes £400 million, or even more, as a new owner has to rebuild a threadbare squad. If Ashley is serious about selling up, it’s about time he realised that the damage he has done to the club has depreciated its value, and that’s nobody’s fault but his.
