Mike Ashley is expected to be back in the UK on Monday and will assess Newcastle United’s next move after a serious bid from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
It is believed that a £340millon deal is now a big possibility for United, but Ashley wants to be convinced that the bidding group can take the club on to the next level.
At this stage nothing is agreed but Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has the capacity to make the deal a reality.
Ashley has been irked by the fact talks were leaked by the Wall Street Journal, but sources close to the deal are now being reported by Sky Sports, BBC and a clutch of national newspapers.
It has left Ashley and his PR team in a position where they need to respond one way or another.
Ashley did not react in the summer when the Bin Zayed Group released statements from the Middle East.
But with financier Amanda Staveley keen on having a 10% part in the deal, the Saudi Arabian consortium want to see progress sooner rather than later.
Newcastle United have continually pushed out a “no comment” status over the weekend.
