Newcastle owner Mike Ashley looking forward to new season... and a takover?
Published 00:00 04/08/08 By By Simon Bird
Mike Ashley has declared himself "excited" about Newcastle's prospects under Kevin Keegan - despite talks over a £260m sale of the club.
But the billionaire owner refused to reveal his future plans for the Geordies as two of Asia's richest companies line up a takeover.
The club is being courted by Anil Ambani, the world's sixth richest man who has a £23billion fortune from running Reliance Communications, and by Singapore-based investment company Profitable Group.
Ashley is understood to be keen to get another investor on board to lighten the load of his £200m buy-out and has 48 hours to decide on striking a deal to sell a stake.
But clad in his black and white shirt this weekend after making the trip to Mallorca to watch Newcastle's pre-season games, Ashley told Mirror Sport: "I'm loving it. I'm excited by the new season, of course I am.
"I'm really looking forward to it. I'm excited by Kevin, seeing the team play, all of it. I think we're going to have a bit of fun." However Ashley refused to outline his plans for the future of the club.
Ashley has admitted that getting a "multi-billionaire" to join him would allow the club to compete with the top four financially.
He admits his seat at St James' Park is "an expensive one". The latest potential investors are looking at a range of clubs with strong fan bases who can provide a foothold into the "exponential" growth of the Premier League.
Last month Ashley said: "There is absolutely no truth in the rumours of an outright sale. It's got to be able to compete.
"Newcastle is not something you make a profit on, you have to enjoy and love it. If we had some multibillionaire who wanted a stake in Newcastle, it would help, but sell the club? It's not the same answer."
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