Rafa Benitez has revealed that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley told him ‘two to three weeks ago’ that Amanda Staveley’s proposed takeover was off.
Ashley let it be known earlier this week that negotiations with Staveley and PCP Capital Partners had been ‘exhausting, frustrating and a complete waste of time’.
Staveley insists that she still wants to buy the club and that a offer of £250million remains ‘on the table’, even though Ashley has made it clear that is unacceptable.
And manager Benitez says he has known since early January there would be no deal with the British financier and her Middle East investment fund.