Mike Ashley's warning to Barry Moat

Aug 11 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

MIKE Ashley is prepared to take Newcastle United off the market and offer David O’Leary the manager’s job unless Barry Moat deposits the money for his bid into a specified bank account by the end of the week.

Although Moat’s consortium has already provided proof of funds, it is understood Ashley is not convinced they are actually willing to spend the money they are talking about offering.

That sum is less than his £100m asking price, but appears to be enough – with some minor haggling over clauses – for Ashley to sell up as long as he knows for certain they can afford to spend it.

If that does not happen, O’Leary is Ashley’s first choice to become manager, although he has not offered him the job as he still wants to give Moat time to push the deal through after weeks of frustrating negotiations.

Sources have also confirmed that Ashley did intend to bring back Joe Kinnear as manager, but was forced to look elsewhere as the former interim boss is still unable to return to work because of the heart problems which forced him out of St James’s Park in February.

Ashley returned from a holiday in Hawaii yesterday to try to reach a satisfactory settlement for him to relinquish control of the Magpies, raising hopes that the deadlock would be broken.

But, with Alan Shearer back with his family on holiday in Portugal after a brief return to England to cover Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, fans are going to have to wait for an end to this infuriating saga.

A source close to Shearer said: “He is still waiting, that is all he can do. Hopefully the money will be deposited as quickly as possible and the club sold.”