Former Newcastle United man Mikel Merino has dropped an inside claim on Mike Ashley in a recent interview with The Guardian.
Speaking to the news outlet, the now Real Sociedad ace claimed that ‘the players knew’ about the ‘difficult relationship’ that the Toon Army had with the owner, and also added that ‘you could feel’ that the fans were ‘unhappy’ with him.
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Merino only spent one season at the St. James’ Park faithful, in where he scored one goal and made one assist in 25 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).
This was back in the 2017/18 term, and it certainly doesn’t feel like the relationship between the supporters and Ashley has not improved since then, judging by the continued fan protests.
Newcastle takeover best for all parties
Ashley is still very much keen to sell the Tyneside club, but a lot would still need to happen before the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium would come back onto the table with their bid.
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A takeover of the Magpies would end the difficult relationship between Ashley and the fans, and would put the club on a new path.
However, Steve Bruce’s men will have their priorities set on staying in the Premier League first of all, with NUFC sitting rather dangerously in 17th spot at the moment on 25 points, just six above 18th-placed Fulham in the relegation zone with 14 games still left to play (BBC Sport).
In other news, find out what Ashley’s latest stance on Steve Bruce is here!
