Newcastle United are in a 'bad place at the moment'.
That was the damning verdict of former Leeds, Sheffield United and QPR goalkeeper Paddy Kenny who feels the club's never-ending takeover saga is harming the club in the short term.
The Magpies' takeover hopes were hit by a hammer blow on Monday evening after their arbitration case was pushed back until early 2022.
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Both Newcastle and the Premier League agreed to the decision after the initial hope for a resolution this month was delayed due to 'issues with disclosure of evidence'.
It means owner Mike Ashley must oversee the summer transfer window and with just over three weeks until the new Premier League season kicks off, United are yet to make a new signing.
Defender Florian Lejeune left the club on Thursday evening to join La Liga side Alaves on a permanent deal and the Frenchman's departure is indicative of a gloomy future on the horizon for Newcastle, according to Kenny.
“If it is, say, £3m or £4m, that’s not a lot of money for a proper player,” Kenny told Football Insider.
“You’re not getting much back to spend on a replacement when all these other clubs are going and spending tens of millions.
“Newcastle are in a bad place at the moment. I think it’s doing a lot of harm to them thinking about what’s going to happen with the takeover.
“I can’t see them spending a lot of money this summer and I’d expect them to be in the same position for a lot of last season.“
