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Takeover waiting game

Newcastle United fans may look on at events at Derby County and wonder: “What if?”

With the Bin Zayed Group on the brink of a takeover, it’s a fair question, but only when the Rams’ new investors get their feet under the table at Derby will we find out more of what went wrong in the summer of 2019.

As it stands, we only have the on the record remarks of Mike Ashley to really go off, he said last year: “The last bid, the one from UAE, he’s a prince and he’s got £38bn or £100bn, all these numbers — well, why would you even care what you’re paying then?

“What difference would £10m either way make? You would want speed, you would want certainty, you would want the keys and to get on with it.”

As far as the Rams are concerned, it looks like Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan is going at the right pace for the deal given it has been approved by the English Football League.

Once unveiled, the new owners are certain to be asked what went on at Newcastle last summer.

But the worry is another potential buyer on Tyneside has moved on.

You can read the full story here.