A source close to Newcastle United has shared some behind the scenes insight on the potential takeover from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.
The Lowdown: Arbitration delay
As shared by the official website of the North East club, the arbitration case between them and the Premier League has now been delayed until early 2022 because of issues with the disclosure of evidence.
The hearing was expected to take place this month, but now further delays have been implemented, leaving the club and fans in limbo for the foreseeable future.
The Latest: Takeover insight
Speaking to 90min, a source close to the St. James' Park faithful has shared that Mike Ashley has been left raging at the arbitration delay, but added that the KSA consortium remain committed to doing a deal:
"Ashley is not happy at all all, he did not think this would be rumbling on into 2022, he wants this finalised. The consortium is still keen to do a deal, but nobody knows how long that will last. It could be indefinite.
"The fans are angry too, but what more can Ashley do? He has found a buyer, but it is the Premier League who have stopped it."
The Verdict: Better late than never
It is certainly a kick in the teeth that there has been yet another delay implemented on the takeover, as arbitration is now not set to take place until next year.
However, the fact that the case will still go on is at least a positive, as it means that there is still a chance of the process being sped up, should the results go in the favour of the Tyneside club.
Going into another season without the takeover is not ideal by any means, given that the transfer budget is set to be far less stricter once more, but at least there is hope that a deal can still be done.