NEWCASTLE United owner Mike Ashley is adamant he does not want to sell the club even though he is looking for someone to help finance his vision for the future at St James’s Park.
Rumours have been rampant ever since Ashley seized control of United 13 months ago from former chairman Freddie Shepherd that the billionaire had only bought the club to sell it on at a quick profit.
This has been consistently denied, firstly by former chairman Chris Mort – who suggested Ashley had a five-year plan for the club – and his replacement, managing director Derek Llambias.
But this is the first time Ashley, who was making a rare public statement yesterday following the publication of his Sports Direct firm’s annual financial results – which showed profits had fallen by 50% last year – has publicly discussed his intentions. And it seems that, while the hugely successful businessman is looking for a partner at St James’s Park to provide fresh investment, he emphasised the fact he intends to remain in overall control.
When asked whether he was actively looking to sell the club – as has regularly been reported by the national media – Ashley (pictured) said: “That is not true. I would say that I am keen to have partners in Newcastle. That’s a very expensive seat I sit in.”
The latest story to undermine Ashley’s position was a claim he had offered the club to the family of terrorist Osama Bin Laden, which came just days after New York-based investment group InterMedia Partners insisted they had declined an opportunity to buy the club for £420m.
Both stories were vehemently denied by Newcastle and Ashley
indicated yesterday that, while he is looking to find an additional investor, he would rather it was someone from the North East than a foreign businessman. “I think I’ll start with people from Newcastle, not in some cave in Afghanistan,” he said.
Nevertheless, it would be foolish to rule out the possibility that Ashley’s partner could turn out to be some sort of foreign financial group looking to cash in on the success of Premier League football.
United’s head of recruitment Tony Jimenez was in Dubai last month looking for potential investors in the Middle East’s oil-rich nations, while several American companies have begun to look at English football as a potential investment opportunity. For Newcastle fans, the constant questioning of Ashley’s intentions have been unhelpful at best and most will hope the owner’s comments will end much of the speculation. Indeed, with manager Kevin Keegan struggling to add new faces to his squad so far this summer – Argentina winger Jonas Gutierrez has been the only new arrival from Real Mallorca – some have expressed their concerns that the uncertainty at boardroom level has actually hindered the club’s activity in the transfer market.
A Newcastle source has denied this has been the case as Ashley, despite taking a more hands on role in the day-to-day running of the club, has appointed a specialist management team in executive director (football) Dennis Wise and Jimenez to make sure the Magpies are able to operate effectively in this area. However, while Ashley’s declaration he is not looking to sell will be welcomed, the only thing which will ultimately convince people about his, and United’s ambition, is the quality of player they attract to St James’s Park before August’s close of the transfer window.
Meanwhile, Steven Taylor has urged the club to tie up new contracts with captain Michael Owen and goalkeeper Steve Harper as soon as possible.
Taylor, who finally ended his own protracted negotiations last week when he agreed a new three-year deal, knows both of his team-mates will be able to talk to other clubs about a Bosman-style free transfer in January and he is anxious to make sure they are committed in the long term to the Magpies.
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