Newcastle United are refusing to comment on reports that Mike Ashley is
The Toon chief is ready to end his 12-year tenure on Tyneside, having put the club up for sale two years ago.
Now, Ashley, is claimed to be ready to stand down and land a £350million windfall after agreeing to sell to the cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan.
The Sun claims that contracts have already been signed and submitted to the Premier League.
That would see Sheikh Khaled, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, take charge.
Sheikh Khaled, it’s claimed, is ready to bankroll Newcastle , should he complete a successful takeover of the North East club, and turn them back into Premier League title contenders.
He will also be tasked with tying down Champions League-winning manager Rafa Benitez to a new contract.
United chiefs have been contacted over the reports, and issued a simple reply of “no comment”.
They refused to expand further, according to The Chronicle.
The Premier League are also refusing to comment.
Sheikh Khaled previously made a £2bn offer to buy Liverpool from their current owners, Fenway Sports Group.
However, what would have been the most expensive takeover in the history of football "did not get past the vetting stage because it was deemed neither credible nor worthy of being put to the ownership”, according to the Press Association.
Liverpool confirmed meetings did take place in New York between chairman Tom Werner and Midhat Kidwai, the managing director of Sheikh Khaled's conglomerate.
But they declared in a statement on the subject: "FSG have been clear and consistent: the club is not for sale."
