A prediction has been made by Noel Whelan regarding when he thinks the Newcastle United takeover process may be concluded.
The Lowdown: Arbitration adjourned
As shared by the official website of the St. James' Park faithful, the arbitration hearing between themselves and the Premier League has now been adjourned 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 things in limbo for the foreseeable future.
The Latest: Whelan on takeover process
Whelan, a pundit who played as a striker for the likes of Leeds United and Coventry City, has since given his thoughts on the takeover process to Football Insider, claiming that he cannot see it being concluded even next year, leaving a question over just how long it will take:
“I think it’s been a farce ever since it first started, to be quite honest with you.
“This doesn’t surprise me that they don’t want to disclose any kind of findings. They’re going to drag it on as much as they possibly can.
“It’s not good for Newcastle because they want this takeover done. They want the takeover done because it’s going to improve and bring more money into the football club.
“It’ll strengthen their squad and position in the Premier League.
“You can never see this one settling very quickly because there’s two strong personalities at either end of this: Mike Ashley and the Premier League.
“The Premier League will need to make sure they’ve got all their documents in order, as will Mike Ashley.
“The process is going to drag on. I probably can’t see it getting concluded in 2022 either.”
The Verdict: Worrying
These are certainly worrying times for the Toon Army, as they go into yet another season with uncertainty surrounding the North East club.
Even though the arbitration hearing is now set to take place next year, there is a chance that it could be delayed even further as it has done already.
If Whelan's prediction that the process may not even be concluded before 2022 is right, then a serious question has to be asked over how long the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium will be willing to wait and ultimately, whether a takeover on Tyneside will ever be completed.
In other news, find out which £50,000-per-week target is attracted to a Magpies move here!