The offer from foreign investors has been rebuffed with Ashley “delighted” with the club’s recent showing under Rafael Benítez.
Mike Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle United has been a lively topic for debate since the businessman took over the club in 2007.
In the years since, Newcastle have suffered relegation from the Premier League twice, and the club has been put up for sale several times in response to severe fan criticism. Ashley even admitted earlier this year that he “regretted” buying the club altogether.
But this week it has emerged, rather out of the blue, that Newcastle United have rejected attempts by “foreign investors” to buy the club, following Newcastle’s most recent relegation to the Championship last season.
Telegraph Sport reports that Mike Ashley is adamant that he will not be selling the club despite the financial implications of the Magpies losing their Premier League status last season
It is understood that Chinese consortiums were hopeful of becoming potential buyers as they believed they would be able to persuade Ashley to sell on the cheap.
Many fans urged Mike Ashley to depart the club once again following Newcastle’s calamitous relegation last season, but much of the criticism was quickly withdrawn when Ashley and the club’s Managing Director, Lee Charnley, gave Benítez what he wanted in order for the Spaniard to stay on as manager.
The message from within St. James’ Park is that the club will not be for sale this season and it is also highly unlikely that Ashley will be considering selling the club in the near future, regardless of what division Newcastle will find themselves in.
Ashley is said to be delighted with the way things are going under new manager Rafa Benítez, who has worked wonders to help rebuild the relationship between the club and its supporters, which has felt poisonous at so many times in recent years.
Benítez’s Newcastle currently sit top of the Championship after Dwight Gayle’s brace at Barnsley on Tuesday night, and they head into Saturday’s clash with Ipswich on a high after four consecutive wins.
Ashley has rightly had his critics for his (at times) shambolic running of the club, with heavily flawed decision-making regarding player and manager recruitment residing Newcastle to their second relegation in seven years.
But after holding his hands up and giving Benítez the freedom to run Newcastle United the way he wants, Ashley has finally brought not just an air of calm to the club, but one of togetherness.
Finally it feels like the executives, staff, players and fans of the club are all pulling in the right direction again – and it feels fantastic.
