Sky Sports reporter Pete Graves has claimed that he believes that the latest statement made by Sheikh Khaled’s Bin Zayed Group over their attempted takeover of Newcastle United is true.
As reported by the Lee Ryder of the Chronicle, the group released a statement on Wednesday that read: “Terms have been agreed between us and Mike Ashley; these terms have been reflected in a document, signed by both parties, which has been forwarded to the Premier League.”
And writing on his own personal Twitter, Graves suggested that he was inclined to believe the claims being made.
He said: “Fresh statement of intent from Bin Zayed Group. Still no official comment from Newcastle.
“Still plenty of doubt/ caution in some quarters as a result of clubs stance.
“FWIW I believe statement IS true (ie contact made with PL and proof of funds sent to MA lawyers). We wait…”
Fresh statement of intent from Bin Zayed Group. Still no official comment from #nufc. Still plenty of doubt/ caution in some quarters as a result of clubs stance. FWIW I believe statement IS true (ie contact made with PL and proof of funds sent to MA lawyers). We wait… #SSN
— Pete Graves (@PeteGravesTV) May 29, 2019
OPINION
This is surely another promising sign for Newcastle. There are few people who have their ears as close to the ground on Tyneside as Graves does, and if he is inclined to believe a statement then fans should perhaps be filled with a little more hope than they might otherwise have been. Nothing is certain, of course, and it will be fascinating to see what Newcastle’s response to this is, but it feels as if this could be a significant update, and one made all the more promising by Graves delivering this verdict on it. Predominantly, we are still dealing in supposition here, but at the very least, it appears that the Bin Zayed Group are serious, and that they are here to stay. That doesn’t mean that a deal is done, but it does mean that they are persistent, and if they follow through on that tenacity, then it could well be that we see a deal confirmed sometime in the not too distant future. For now, however, who can really say?
