NEWCASTLE, UK: Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has ended takeover talks with prospective buyer Amanda Staveley, according to reports.
Ashley put the Premier League club up for sale in October and had been engaged through his representatives with Staveley's PCP Capital Partners in a bid to thrash out a deal for the club he has owned for more than a decade.
However, on Tuesday it became clear that Ashley had finally lost patience and ended negotiations.
In a statement authorised by Ashley, a source close to the owner told Sky Sports: "It's only right to let the fans know that there is no deal on the table or even under discussion with Amanda Staveley and PCP.
"Attempts to reach a deal with Amanda Staveley and PCP have proved to be exhausting, frustrating and a complete waste of time."
Staveley was involved in introducing Sheikh Mansour to Manchester City before he bought the club in 2008.
Her appearance at St James' Park for Newcastle's match against Liverpool in October sparked hopes among Magpies fans of a similar transformation in their club's fortunes.
It has been suggested that Staveley's unknown investors were from the Middle East, east Asia and the US and had made an offer of around £250 million.
But despite being photographed meeting Staveley in London last month, Ashley has decided to walk away from the deal.
Newcastle United takeover bid collapses as Mike Ashley ends talks: Reports
Newcastle United takeover bid collapses as Mike Ashley ends talks: Reports
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Fleetwood targets world no. 1 as he defends Dubai Invitational title
- Event is taking place at Dubai Creek Resort from Jan. 15-18
DUBAI: Tommy Fleetwood is relishing the challenge of playing against a world-class field at the Dubai Invitational as he looks to successfully defend his title and mount a charge towards the world no. 1 ranking at Dubai Creek Resort from Jan. 15-18.
The Englishman produced a dramatic birdie-birdie finish at the inaugural event in 2024 to edge out Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy on the final day, and he heads into the opening event of the International Swing full of confidence after a career-defining 2025 season.
The 34-year-old became only the second Englishman in history to capture the PGA Tour’s prestigious FedExCup title with his victory at the Tour Championship. He followed that triumph with a victory at the DP World India Championship before playing a starring role in Europe’s historic Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black, finishing as the leading points scorer across both teams.
“I played really well here two years ago,” said the Dubai resident. “I enjoyed playing with Rory in that last round.
“Any time you get to test yourself against one of the greatest of all time is always a lot of fun. It’s a great finish. I think it was a good reminder that anything can happen, that you just have to stick in. I felt like I had control of the tournament on the back nine and Rory came through. Thriston (Lawrence) had an amazing round. And things went my way. It was just a reminder that you have to keep going and play until the very end.
“And winning is always cool. I had the family there. It was amazing.”
Off the back of his stellar 2025 season, Fleetwood finds himself at a career-high third in the official world golf ranking, with runaway leader Scottie Scheffler and career Grand Slam winner McIlroy the only players above him.
While Fleetwood knows there is much work to do to get past them, he is aiming for the very top, with this week’s Dubai Invitational offering early-season opportunities to build momentum toward that goal.
“I would love to,” he said of challenging for top spot. “There is a clear gap, those two guys are definitely the best golfers in the world. I’m just one of the players in the pack behind that has some catching up to do there.
“Look at every aspect of my game, where I can improve, where I can pick the smallest amount of shots up to those guys.
“But it’s an amazing challenge, if you think of it like that. Starting the year in a different position than I’ve ever been, world no. 3, and I think that’s very cool and very exciting to have to think about trying to maintain the level that I’ve reached there, and I think that’s very, very exciting.”
Fleetwood will once again face McIlroy in the field, alongside fellow Open champions Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Francesco Molinari. The field also boasts multiple DP World Tour winners, including Ryan Fox, Matt Wallace, Nicolai Hojgaard and Race to Dubai leader Jayden Schaper.
The 60 professionals will be joined by 60 amateurs competing in the pro-am format, including tournament host Abdulla Al-Naboodah, NFL legends Larry Fitzgerald and John Elway, along with former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke.
