Legal advisors representing Indian telecommunications mogul Anil Ambani are expected to make contact with representatives of Newcastle’s billionaire owner Mike Ashley in the next couple of days, as he steps up his interest in buying the Tyneside club.
After their initial approach, sports retail entrepreneur Ashley will have up to 10 days to decide whether he wants to consider selling a club he bought for £134.4 million last summer, before he cleared £80 million-worth of debts.
Such positive action will enable Ambani to steal a march on St James’ Park’s other suitors, the Singapore-based global investment company Profitable Group. Both parties are apparently willing to provide Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan with £100 million in transfer funds.
Ambani, chairman of Reliance Communications, is said to be worth £21 billion.
“Ambani has twice as much money as [Roman] Abramovich and his intentions are deadly serious,” a source close to the deal told The Daily Telegraph.
“His people will put a set of proposals to Ashley and if they don’t like them they will say 'that’s it’ and turn their attention elsewhere. They won’t be messed about.”
It is understood clubs with large fanbases have attracted interest from Ambani, so ailing Yorkshire clubs Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday would appeal to the Bombay-based magnate, as well as Everton.
“They see Newcastle as a massive club with vast potential,” the source said. “They know they already attract 50,000-plus crowds and wonder what would happen if they get back into the Champions League. But they also see India as an untapped market as well.”
Privately, Newcastle rubbished suggestions that Ashley was ready to sell. However, Ashley recently made it clear that he was looking for partners to share the financial burden of owning a top-flight English club. That would involve selling off a chunk of the club to investors, but that sort of deal would seemingly not appeal to Ambani or the Singapore group, which has former England international Steve McMahon as a director.
Ashley’s public pronouncements have been rare since he arrived at Newcastle, but the latest takeover talk has prompted calls for a change of ways.
“It’s high time he spoke out to clarify the situation,” said Frank Gilmour, chairman of the Newcastle United Independent Supporters’ Association.
“If he wants to stay and turn Newcastle into a successful club then that’s great and he should come out and say something sooner rather than later. The same applies if he has decided he wants to sell up.”
He added: “I’d like to see the uncertainty removed. My main concern is if he is going to sell the club, that it ends up in the hands of people who are determined to turn us into a successful club.”
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