Chinese Takeaway?

Just when everything at NUFC felt like it was coming together news today broke of interest from a Chinese consortium in buying all or a stake in the club.

The cynic in most of us immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was yet another episode in a long line of seemingly crazy decisions from within the Newcastle hierarchy to scupper this summers transfer plans, perhaps realising what they have now promised to Rafa Benitez financially.

Whether true or not the fact that Sky Sports ran the story as their main headline for most of the day quoting ‘reliable sources’ would indicate someone is talking for whatever reason.

Of course, should the claims be true this would see a u-turn in Mike Ashely’s previous comments about not leaving until we’ve won something (by which we assumed he’d meant a major trophy not the Championship) or had taken us to the Champions League. It would also genuinely cast doubt on Rafa’s transfer plans and budgets given the widely accepted view that the incumbent Board is unlikely to allow money to leave the club when a sale was imminent.

One potential encouraging angle, picked up by the Telegraph, is that perhaps this is actually an ‘investment’ into the club by a consortium in exchange for a share of the club. Whether to allow Mike Ashely to take his interest free loan stake back or to invest in the club and transfers this would be far more palatable and sustainable as an outcome.

Whatever the truth, something would very defiantly seem afoot. And at a time where stability and unwavering support in Rafa is the only thing that really matters to take the club forward it is the most unwelcome of developments.