Newcastle United welcome Arsenal to St James’ Park this weekend – the battle of two teams more concerned with what’s happening off the pitch.
For years now, Toon fans have wanted Mike Ashley to leave.
It seemed as though we would get our wish last year, as PCP Capital Partners agreed a deal to buy the club.
But the Premier League stalled during the Owners’ and Directors’ Test, forcing PIF to walk away from the deal.
Nearly a year on since they withdrew and there is still hope that a deal can be resurrected.
Ashley has taken legal action against the Premier League, and we now await results from the arbitration case.
But down south, there could also be a takeover on the horizon.
In the aftermath of the European Super League collapse, Arsenal fans have been protesting against their owners.
Ahead of their defeat to Everton last week, thousands of fans gathered outside the Emirates with a simple message: Kroenke out.
Ek to buy the Gunners?
And if Spotify owner Daniel Ek is to be believed, the Kroenke era could be coming to an end.
During the protests, Ek tweeted that he would be interested in buying the club if it was available.
Since then, things have been moving at a frantic pace.
It was reported on Tuesday that Arsenal legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira will be joining Ek’s bid to buy the Gunners.
Now Ek has appeared on CNBC, declaring his interest once again and confirming that he has the funds to buy the club before putting forward an offer.
This will be music to the ears of Arsenal fans. But Newcastle takeover sagas of years gone by should serve as a warning to the Gunners.
Will it be too good to be true for Arsenal?
In recent years, there have been multiple takeover attempts at St James’ Park.
Particularly in the summer of 2019, the saga involving the Bin Zayed Group felt like it was going to be the end of Ashley.
But the takeover was dragged out through the media and eventually fizzled away into nothing.
Other takeover attempts from Peter Kenyon and Amanda Staveley were also played out in the media.
Things were different the second time Staveley tried to buy the club, other than one article in the Wall Street Journal in January 2020. A few months later and documentation was completed showing that a deal well and truly was on.
As Mike Ashley told the Daily Mail in 2019: “The day someone buys Newcastle, they’ll do their due diligence – and finished.
“It will happen like Manchester City. By the time the media find out, it’s already complete. There’s no need for a delay with Newcastle.”
Surely the same should stand for Arsenal?
If you’re buying a club the size of the Gunners, it should not be played out in the media.
Everything Ek has said is what Arsenal fans want to hear, but it will mean nothing if he isn’t stood at the Emirates holding a scarf above his head as the new owner of the club.
Arsenal fans, take it from us here at Newcastle – don’t get excited until a deal is officially done. The more you hear and read in the media, the more concerned you should be.
Until you see a statement from the club confirming the change of ownership, keep your celebratory cans on ice.
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