The Bin Zayed Group have not yet begun the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test to enable them to take over Newcastle United, according to journalist Chris Waugh.
The Magpies correspondent revealed the news in a Chronicle Q & A on Wednesday, stating that despite the BZG’s claims to the contrary, they have yet to begin the prospective owners’ test.
The Premier League are officially refusing to comment on the speculation at this stage, although it is understood that they have seen the heads-of-terms agreement.
However, the owners’ and directors’ test process is still yet to begin, suggesting that a potential takeover of the club isn’t yet imminent.
OPINION
The potential takeover of Newcastle by the Bin Zayed Group has, as expected, developed into something of a saga. There are plenty of claims made by the BZG that have yet to be ratified by the Magpies or the Premier League, although that doesn’t necessarily mean they are untrue. Certainly it seems as if the latter are aware of a potential takeover and have seen the terms that have supposedly been agreed between BZG and Mike Ashley. However, it seems that they are yet to truly get the process underway with the owners’ and directors’ test. Once that begins we will truly be able to learn whether the BZG are serious about buying Newcastle and whether they would be the sort of owners’ that the club need. It’s important that the Magpies don’t swap one tyrannical owner for another, so the owners’ and directors’ test is a big deal. However, the process is yet to begin so we still remain largely in the dark about what’s happening.
