According to The Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder, Henry Mauriss still remains “in the game” amid the continued delays surrounding Newcastle’s takeover.
What did he say?
With the Premier League still not having given the green light to the Saudi consortium’s proposed bid to take over from Mike Ashley, some late reported interest from Mauriss has added another layer of intrigue to the equation.
And in a Q&A for The Chronicle, Ryder has delivered an update on where things stand with Mauriss. When asked whether the American is a legitimate buyer, he said: “That is now for Mr Mauriss to prove. He has talked a good game behind the scenes but is yet to make his move in terms of money on the table. The story I checked out the other day – on the back of the reports in the US – was whether he has or hasn’t met Mike Ashley, and it turns out the pair have indeed met.
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“I know there’s a lot of disappointment out there when his name is mentioned. However, we are still held up by the Premier League’s process on the owner’s and director’s test. As long as that is delayed, Mauriss stays in the game.”
All eyes on Mauriss
Three months after it first emerged that PCP Captial Partners had agreed a deal to buy Newcastle, the fact it still hasn’t gone through has understandably caused some concern.
As such, Mauriss’ arrival as a late competitor has added a new distraction to the whole takeover process. The Saudi consortium’s bid has been held up by varying factors, including criticism over its human rights record, and accusations of piracy over illegal streaming of Premier League matches.
Ryder’s confirmation that Mauriss and Ashley had met seems to indicate that the current Newcastle owner is open to other offers, and if the former does come up with an official proposal, then the situation at St James’ Park could get a whole lot more complicated.