Trusted voices who "know the machinations" of Premier League side Newcastle United under Mike Ashley are "beginning to independently come to the conclusion" that the owner is in "the process of a long goodbye," according to Mark Douglas of CHRONICLE LIVE. Skepticism is "usually a healthy response when it comes to boardroom talk at Newcastle" but one consortium based in China has reportedly signed a non-disclosure agreement with the club as it "seeks to put together an offer that will entice Ashley to part with the club." The agreement is "intended to keep things as quiet as possible," but it is a "step forward from the expressions of interest that prompted Ashley's advisors to engage in their fishing expedition for possible investors at the start of the summer" following promotion from the League Championship. The people involved are "serious characters who have links in the Far East." It "might be that any takeover along these lines would follow the model" set by West Bromwich Albion or Southampton -- "targeted investment in infrastructure and the transfer market to enable Newcastle to grow" -- rather than the Man City-style "mega investment that feels unlikely in the current financial climate" (CHRONICLE LIVE, 9/30).
