The hold-up in the Bin Zayed Group’s mooted takeover of Newcastle United is likely down to them negotiating commercial contracts, according to The Chronicle journalist Mark Douglas.
The Magpies reporter believes that, if indeed the BZG have the funds to purchase the club, that the delay is probably down to them nailing down other related deals.
Douglas states that he knows for a fact that things like the Sports Direct advertising hoardings could be being talked about, as current owner Mike Ashley would like to keep them around for a while.
The other things Douglas believes could be delaying the deal are tax liabilities, HMRC, what happens if the club gets relegated, etc. If the BZG do have the funds required then this is where Douglas believes they’re likely to be at in their discussions with Ashley.
OPINION
It does appear as if the big question at the moment is whether the BZG do indeed have the cash necessary to pull off this takeover. It’s been a long time now since the speculation first gripped Tyneside and we were treated to the last in a quick succession of statements from the BZG. Since then it’s all gone quiet on the Middle Eastern front, which has left supporters wondering what exactly is taking so long if the BZG are as serious to buy as they appeared to be. However, it’s a complicated thing to purchase a football club and so patience is required. Not only do you have to do the deal for the club itself but, as Douglas reveals, there are numerous other smaller negotiations that have to take place as well. Hopefully Douglas is right and we are down to the minutia of the takeover deal, but the fact is that we just don’t know at this moment in time. Obviously Douglas is more well-informed than the rest of us, but even his opinion here is one based mostly on speculation.
