Mike Ashley met two Mexican businessmen in London last week with view to selling Newcastle United, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.
The controversial businessman is still said to be looking for a buyer to take the Magpies off his hands after a series of failed takeover attempts in recent times.
But it is understood that the meeting came to nothing, with Ashley’s attitude once again proving a stumbling block for the interested party.
Writing in a piece for The Athletic, Ornstein said: “The Athletic can reveal that Ashley met with two Mexican businessmen in London last week as various negotiations to end his 12-year tenure continue.
“Unfortunately for those hoping Newcastle will finally change hands, it was a familiar story: Ashley is said to have come across as “rude” and the conversation came to nothing.
“The visitors were club owners, though it is unclear if they were the same Mexicans who reportedly had Newcastle on their radar in May. That was apparently the Orlegi Group, led by Alejandro Irarragorri and owners of the club Santos Laguna.”
OPINION
How many times is this going to play out? You can blame any number of factors for why Newcastle United haven’t been sold yet, but when all is said and done, there is only one common denominator, and he likes affordable sportswear and giant mugs. Ironically, it’s the Toon Army who must be feeling like the mugs right about now, as once again Ashley squanders another opportunity to pack up his things and roll on out of Tyneside. At this stage, you have to wonder if he is trying to sell the club at all, or if he is simply making a token gesture to keep fans just optimistic enough to keep on attending matches. Ordinarily, that might sound unnecessarily cynical, but where Ashley is concerned, nothing is beyond the realms of possibility.
