Newcastle United Chinese Take-Over: Is Mike Ashley Now Willing To Sell?

Barely a year goes by without some sort of drama unfolding behind the doors of Newcastle United. Even as the club returned to the Premier League, a tax scandal threatened to unsteady the ship. And now with fans just beginning to look towards stability under Rafa Benitez, there's more news of potential upheaval at the top level.

According to reports initially broken by Sky Sports, owner Mike Ashley has received "significant international investment interest", including one party from China and is understood to be "considering all options open to him."

Beyond those initial details, Sky Sports remained enigmatically vague, but the news gained momentum elsewhere, with rumours attempting to unpack who the interested party might be, and what a deal might look like.

The Telegraph and Luke Edwards offer the most substantial and enlightening take, stating that "conversations with investors are ongoing" and that while talk elsewhere has focused on a straight take-over, it's more likely that Ashley would be open to investment, as he doesn't believe prospective buyers would be willing to pay the £400 million he wants.

Edwards also qualifies that Ashely is considering "various offers" and is seeking proof of funds before taking discussions to the next stage. And interestingly, he states that the Chinese party has been interested in investing in the club since as early as last year, quoting a "source" close to discussions:

“There has been interest from China for a long time now. It has not got very far in the past, but neither has it gone away.”

This isn't the first time rumours about a take-over have reared their heads, but it's more worthwhile talking about it this time as there's a marked difference in the club's response...

And not only that, Edwards confirms that Rafa Benitez is aware of the situation and has been since last month when he met with Ashley. He is "relaxed about the negotiations as he has been assured they will have no impact on his ability to sign players this summer."

The key thing to take away from potential investment is that any incoming party could help bolster funds over the next two key transfer windows. Naturally, there will be concerns from Newcastle fans that it could destabilise Benitez's plans - and curiously there isn't a wholly positive response on social media to the idea of Ashley potentially stepping aside.

But it will nevertheless be interesting to see how this progresses.

And if you're looking for a timeline, The Chronicle's Mark Douglas has suggested that things might be quite far along...

Would you like to see a new owner at Newcastle? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.