Don't say it too loudly, but Mike Ashley may have finally agreed a deal to sell Newcastle United. Quiet, nobody move, we don't want to startle him and blow the whole thing.
It's safe to say that Ashley is not the most popular character in Newcastle, with many fans growing frustrated with his penny-pinching approach to business. However, if reports are to be believed, he is near to selling the club to
He Is the Cousin of Manchester City's Owner
If success in football runs in the family, then Newcastle fans are in for a treat if this deal goes through.
That's because Sheikh Khaled is the cousin of Manchester City owner
Mike Ashley sells #NUFC to Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan - cousin of #MCFC owner Sheikh Mansour 🤔
— Crippy Cooke (@CrippyCooke) May 26, 2019
Is this not a breach of Premier League regulations?
Allowing family members to own clubs in the same division will lead to 'special relationships' that are entirely unethical
He Tried to Finalise the Most Expensive Takeover in History in 2018
Sheikh Khaled has long been keen to dip his toe into the footballing waters, so much so that he was ready to bankroll the most expensive takeover in history last year.
According to the Daily Mail, he failed with an eye-watering £2bn bid to buy Liverpool in 2018, after several meetings with club officials. However, Reds shareholders John W Henry and Michael Gordon never met with Sheikh Khaled, seemingly determined not to sell.
Mike Ashley has agreed to sell Newcastle for £350million to the cousin of Sheikh Mansour.
— City Chief (@City_Chief) May 26, 2019
Contracts have been signed and submitted to the Premier League between Ashley and Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan. [The Sun] pic.twitter.com/oWuRm62KWo
He Knows All About Business
Having money is all well and good, but the owner of a club needs to know all about business if they are to help their team improve. Fortunately, Sheikh Khaled fits the bill.
After securing a degree in Business Administration and a PhD in Finance from universities in the United States, Sheikh Khaled set up the Bin Zayed Group in 1988 which specialises in a number of areas, including finance, technology and trading.
He clearly knows how to run a business, and also how to make money, and the hope is that he can apply these skills to football.
His Company Values Sound Like a Recipe for Success in Football
Not only has Sheikh Khaled masterminded the emergence of a hugely successful company, but he has done so with values that are sure to excite football fans.
On the Bin Zayed Group website, the company's values are listed, and it should come as no surprise why they have been so successful. They focus on improving, growing and rewarding people for top performances, but the main focus is one thing - profits.
If you apply all these values to football, it sounds like Sheikh Khaled could be the dream owner. He wants to strengthen and improve, and he wants to make money doing it.
He Wants Rafa Benitez to Stay
If there's one person who has been the subject of more speculation than Ashley, it's manager Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard is beloved by most in Newcastle, but finds himself out of contract at the end of the season. A major question on everyone's lips is this - how would this takeover affect Benitez?
Not to be over dramatic about the takeover but I’ve just ordered a Newcastle shirt with Mbappe 7 on the back.
— Adam. (@AdamNUFC_) May 27, 2019
To put it simply, it could be exactly what he needs to stay. B
Source : 90min