Newcastle takeover: Sheikh Khaled is reportedly *not* related to Man City owners

Talks are believed to be ongoing over a possible takeover of Newcastle United

Sheikh Khaled, the man whose investment group is in talks to buy Newcastle United from Mike Ashley, is reportedly not related to Manchester City's owner, as it had earlier been claimed. Several reports say Ashley is in discussions with the Bin Zayed Group, with managing director Midhat Kidwai going as far as saying terms have already been agreed over a deal for the Premier League club. The Daily Mail report that Newcastle believe interest from the Dubai-based group is genuine and that the club have informed the Premier League that a possible takeover may be in the offing. Interestingly, the same report claims there 'remains scepticism among several sources close to the situation'. Insiders at City have played down the connection between Sheikh Khaled and their club's owner, Sheikh Mansour, following reports earlier in the day that the pair were related. It's suggested Sheik Khaled is 'not the same Bin Zayed' as the Premier League champions' owner and is, at best, a distant relation. Several reports have also pointed out that Sheikh Khaled failed in an attempt to buy Liverpool last year in a deal thought to be worth around £2bn. No proof of funds was ever provided by the group, with a source telling the Mail that they were 'time-wasters'. This, for those Newcastle fans eager to see Ashley leave the club, will likely come as a concern.