Things could be about to get very heated between Mike Ashley and the Premier League, with the Newcastle United supremo bringing an arbitration case against them for their unwillingness to sanction a deal with prospective buyers.
Ashley has always been an acquired taste for many, and Magpies supporters would love nothing better than to see the back of a chairman who has taken them to the abyss more times than they’d care to remember.
They may get their wish early in the new year if the hearing finds in Ashley’s favour, with one bone of contention being that Newcastle were threatened with expulsion from the Premier League if they went through with the takeover.
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That’s something that former professional, Noel Whelan, believes is a lack of respect towards the club.
“It’s definitely a threat, I don’t think it should be done that way by the Premier League,” he told Football Insider.
“They didn’t take this action when it came to Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea (over the Super League).
“So why now for Newcastle? It’s very harsh, and it’s a threat Newcastle don’t want.
“I don’t think it’s the right way to go about things, it shows a lack of respect and professionalism to the club.
“These types of things show that there’s a problem between the Premier League and Mike Ashley.
“Where do Newcastle go from here? How do they sort this out and get taken over?”
Whelan certainly has a point, and with a takeover likely to cure all of Newcastle’s ills, you wonder why the Premier League would have a problem in the first place.