Investors put off by loony Toon price

Informal discussions have taken place over the potential sale of Newcastle to American investors - but they were put off by the asking price. It is understood representatives of owner Mike Ashley have met counterparts from New York-based private equity fund InterMedia Partners. One report on Friday suggested Ashley named a price of £420million - some £286million more than he paid for the club a year ago - and that scuppered any chance of a deal being struck. Sources in America have confirmed that the US company was interested enough to hold initial talks, although whether that interest persists remains to be seen. There was no comment from Newcastle on the matter on Friday, although it is not the first time the the club's ownership has hit the headlines again. In the past, the word from St James' Park has always been that... [read full story]