Newcastle United has finally been freed from the hands of Mike Ashley after the business tycoon has agreed to sell the club to Sheik Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan.
Ladies and gentlemen, the takeover of Newcastle United has finally happened. Okay, the takeover is not fully complete, but the paperwork is being finalized between Mike Ashley and Sheik Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan from the United Arab Emirates. It is being reported that Ashley and Sheik Khaled have agreed to terms of a £350M sale of Newcastle United and the Toon Army could not be happier.
The Sun broke the news last night and raised many eyebrows with their exclusive claim, however, their report hit the nail on the head. Innumerable media outlets are covering this takeover and several summaries have been published. Here at Newcastle Toons, instead of being repetitive, we will do things a little differently by providing you with our personal reactions to this much-anticipated transaction.
Reaction: Durim Halimi
It was difficult being a Newcastle United supporter under the ownership of Mike Ashley. Greedy Mike, as I like to call him, was sitting on top of the sleeping giant of English football and his carelessness sent the Magpies down to the EFL Championship twice in eight years. Well, it looks like the days of manipulation and false promises are over. To be honest, I do not know much about Sheik Khaled, but seeing the way his cousin, Sheik Mansour, has run Manchester City generates optimism on my end.
Sheik Khaled has already impressed me with the following statement he made, which can be read in full here:
"We view it as an honor to have the opportunity to build on the strong support, history and tradition of the club."
Any owner who comes in and says they are honored to purchase and strengthen Newcastle United has my respect. The sky is the limit for Newcastle United after this revival of hope. I am afraid that we might transform into a tourist club with a new breed of bandwagon supporters, but I am excited about the new heights Newcastle United can reach over the next few years.
Reaction: Carson A. Merk
I want to state for the record that I have zero confidence in this occurring. BUT, if somehow the unthinkable occurs, it will be one of the biggest moments in English football history. Big claim, right? However, we all that friend who has so much potential, but is always held down by a dead end job or mismatched by a significant other.
This takeover would be that amazing, smart friend finally reaching their deserved place in the world with someone or something that has their best interest at heart. This fan base, this Toon, they all deserve this takeover.