Newcastle managing director Derek
Llambias has confirmed owner Mike Ashley has received at least two
offers of £100million for the club.
Llambias said that several bids at the sportswear
magnate's asking price have been tabled as hopes of a quick sale
grow.
He said: "There have been more than two bids at £100million.
"At the moment, we are in the hands of lawyers and it is all
ongoing.
"We are giving interested parties all the help that they
need."
The identities of the bidders remain a closely-guarded secret
with all having signed non-disclosure agreements before being
granted access to the club's books.
Llambias is understood to have
shown a Malaysian consortium around St James' Park and the club's
training ground last week, while the Singapore-based Profitable
Group and former chairman Freddy Shepherd are known to have held
discussions with Seymour Pierce, the investment bank handling the
sale.
However, amid suggestions that there have been offers at lower
prices - the Malaysians were said to have bid £80million, but
agreed to take on an overdraft of up to £40million - Llambias is
adamant that £100million remains the figure prospective buyers need
to meet.
The Magpies were put up for sale days after Ashley and Llambias
held talks with Alan Shearer over the manager's job, and that
vacancy is still to be filled.
Shearer is keen to take on the role, but it is caretaker boss
Chris Hughton who is currently putting the players through their
paces at a pre-season training camp in Ireland as talks behind the
scenes continue.
Whoever does buy the club, time is fast running out before the
start of the new Coca-Cola Championship season on August 8 with the
squad yet to be re-shaped and an annual wage bill which has been
reduced to around £62million in the wake of recent departures,
still way in excess of what a side outside of the Barclays Premier
League can afford.
teamtalk