Reports today say Newcastle United have deals in place to sell three more high-profile players as Ashley aims to shoot down Alan Shearer, who will step into the manager's chair the second Fat Boy sells up.
Ten first-team players have left since Newcastle’s relegation to the Coca-Cola Championship (and two reserves), bringing in around £24m, and it is now understood that buyers have been found for three more.
While their identities have not been officially confirmed, they are believed to be Steven Taylor, Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini.
Barry Moat, who would appoint Alan Shearer as manager, is the preferred bidder of Seymour Pierce and, for the first time, Derek Llambias, Newcastle’s managing director, has confirmed that talks are nearing their end-game. “We have parties who are more or less at signing stage,” he said. “It’s about getting money to the bank. We are in negotiations with Barry.”
But Ashley .... who knows Shearer will get the job ... has offered the post to David O'Leary and Joe Kinnear in the last two weeks, to try and scupper Shearer's position. Knowing the new owners will have to "pay up" the two year contracts.
Ashley feels as though he is being herded out of Tyneside on a witch-hunt, and will not leave in a dignified fashion.
He will go out with all guns blazing ... leaving the club in a sorry position ... and Shearer with NONE of the players (Beye, Duff, Taylor, etc) that he wanted to keep.
Instead ... leaving the ones he wanted to shift ... including Joey Barton.