Alan Hutton has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United after a development involving Mike Ashley emerged.
The Lowdown: Ashley seeks to claim damages
As shared in documents that were made available to the public, Ashley has launched a claim accusing the Premier League of anti-competitive behaviour in their decision-making process on the failed deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.
The claim for damages is now another legal case against the English top flight on top of the pending arbitration case hearing between the St. James' Park faithful and the PL relating to the Owners and Directors Test.
The Latest: Ashley is desperate
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton, who is now a pundit after making numerous appearances in the top flight for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, has claimed that Ashley is showing signs of desperation by trying to claim back as much money as possible from the failed bid:
“A little bit of desperation. He’s looking to get money back off the league and all this.
“I think as a fan you’d just be sitting there thinking: ‘Oh, for God’s sake.’ It’s getting annoying now. I think if they can get this takeover over the line, whoever it may be, it would be best for everyone.
“It just leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. It’s rearing its ugly head always with Mike Ashley. They seem to be standing still at the moment. Mike Ashley just seems to be trying to squeeze every penny out from every angle possible.
“It must be frustrating for the fans but hopefully they can get it over the line, one way or another. Whether the league helps them out or not, we’ll have to wait and see.”
The Verdict: Potential worry for takeover
The fact that Ashley is trying to claim money back from the failed takeover suggests that he may not be confident with the result of his legal case against the league - if the takeover is not going to go through it would be huge hit to his finances, which could indeed lead to this.
This could be a worry for the Toon Army given Ashley's previous showings of frugalness in the transfer market - the longer this uncertainty drags on, the more excuses he has not to spend anything to improve the side this summer.
Everyone on Tyneside is surely hoping for a positive result that can eventually lead to a path being cleared for the takeover as soon as possible.