Yesterday, The Athletic revealed that American investor James DaGrosa could move for another Premier League if Southampton owner Gao Jisheng does not lower his £200m asking price. In the report, Newcastle United are one of a few clubs mentioned as potential alternatives, though Chris Waugh provided some interesting insight into the problem with that.
What’s the story?
Talking about the story on Twitter, Waugh suggested that – because DaGrosa was unwilling to pay £200m for the Saints – it seems unlikely he’ll want to pay Mike Ashley’s asking price. Indeed, amid all the speculation in regards to the potential Saudi Arabian takeover, it’s understood a £300m+ fee was agreed between those potential buyers and the Sports Direct mogul.
Obviously, that is a huge difference, so it would be quite a leap to assume the American would be willing to pay that much more for Newcastle.
The Verdict
It all points to what plenty of reports from the likes of The Athletic that the Saudi bid is the most realistic hope of ending the Ashley era soon. Given their wealth, the asking price doesn’t seem to be too much of a concern but, for so many others over the years, it has been. Indeed, you only have to think about the number of failed takeover stories we’ve seen over the years to come to that conclusion.
While performances have improved of late, there is no doubt Newcastle are a club in limbo at the moment and, frankly, progression appears to be hinging on whether a deal with Amanda Staveley and company can be pushed through. Perhaps others are interested but we have been here before and it never got as close as it did in the spring of 2020.
Considering the nature of the story, we can expect updates in regards to anything takeover related. However, it appears as if the Saudi bid is the only one that matters at the moment.
