United managing director Llambias has no choice but to remain tight-lipped about the identity of the group from south east Asia and the Malaysian group must also keep their counsel until the deal is completed, with neither party prepared to fall foul of the non-disclosure agreements they signed a fortnight ago. That leaves United supporters with another agonising wait to see who could take charge of their club. But it is believed that despite interest from a clutch of interested buyers, it is the Malaysians who are closest to signing a sales and purchase agreement, which is the legal contract that obligates a buyer to buy and a seller to sell. The Malaysians have also completed the process of due diligence and are understood to be prepared to tackle the club’s £35m overdraft and take on other commitments such as transfer instalments on players such as Obafemi Martins and Damien Duff, with Chelsea still owed £2m for the Irishman over the next two seasons. There is also the matter of a potential compensation package for Kevin Keegan which could result in a £9m pay-out to the former Toon, England and Manchester City boss. While Shepherd is still keen on a family bid to return to St James’s, there has been other interest from an American group, but neither have pushed as far ahead in the queue as the Malaysians. Indeed it also emerged today that a Central European billionaire, renowned for his background in the online gaming industry, had also gone through the process of due diligence but has yet to be able to prepare a bid. The drama began to unfold surrounding the Malaysian consortium yesterday afternoon after lunch when a six-strong party arrived in Newcastle at the city’s heliport. They were then whisked around St James’s by Llambias, who offered them the full tour of the stadium and club offices. The tour quickly moved on to the training ground where they were shown the facilities on offer at the club’s Benton HQ. The Malaysians were spotted by players who had just finished training. And as they ventured around the training ground they also met Toon striker Oba Martins, who was undergoing treatment. The No 9 later informed his team-mates after training that the group were here to buy the club. Then passers-by on the nearby housing estate observed that the group were shown around the club’s Academy. The group do not appear to have any links with the Profitable Group, who expressed an interest last month, but the same source who tipped off the Chronicle on June 11 was unavailable for comment. Meanwhile it is thought that a group of Americans checked out the club’s training ground on Monday accompanied by United financial controller John Irving, but Llambias was not present. | 
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