Peter Kenyon heads takeover consortium in talks for Newcastle United

Yes, there's been a few false dawns along the way, but it seems Mike Ashley might actually be ready to sell Newcastle United in the near future

Ashley revealed in an interview earlier this week that talks to over a possible sale of Newcastle are "at a more progressed stage than they have ever been". Although his comments were met with cynicism by some of the club's supporters (and Alan Shearer), the latest reports suggest Ashley was being serious. https://twitter.com/alanshearer/status/1069690514746822656 It's now claimed that a consortium headed by Peter Kenyon, the former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive, are in talks to buy the club. The BBC report that Ashley's comments about a possible sale were referring to this. Kenyon is said to be working alongside the American financial advisory firm Rockefeller Capital Management and it's not yet clear if any bid has been lodged. Despite this, it's thought the chances of a takeover being finalised before the end of the year are slim. The necessary Premier League checks and processes needed to complete a deal usually take around two weeks to complete. However, with the Christmas break and the recent departure of Richard Scudamore, this could delay matters. As well as the consortium headed by Kenyon, it's also thought other parties are interested in a possible takeover of the club.