'He's lying - his lips are moving' - Newcastle United fans react to THAT Mike Ashley takeover interview on Sky

In a live interview with Sky News' Ian King, Ashley shocked the Magpies-faithful by stating talks are "at a more progressed stage than they have ever been" and claimed there is an outside chance the sale could be finalised before the January transfer window.

Reports suggests it is US billionaire Arthur Blank, worth $4.6billion, who is the mystery buyer - however Newcastle fans aren't entirely convinced by Ashley's big reveal - and have responded with much scepticism.

Several fans questioned the timing of Ashley's announcement given the winter market is just around the corner while some believe his body language speaks a thousand words.

Here are just some the Newcastle fan reaction:

On Twitter...

@daveyK1234: "You can tell he’s lying...his lips are moving"

@laidler22: "Not getting my hopes up like.. Can tell the January window is approaching again, he said similar things last year."

@stusblues: "He told the players he wasn’t selling this season? the guy is a liar, more like he’ll avoid more protest and spend zero cause it’ll be too late in January when the deal “falls through” he’s used this tactic 1 too many times! Notice his avoidance of the word realistic! #fantasy"

@wurkeyticket: "Just before the transfer window, who'd have thought!!! No money for Rafa then as he'll need to make the books look good and the takeover will fail just at the end of the window, copy and paste"

@Andy_Carruthers: "He seemed flustered at the question. Wasn’t expecting it. Stuttered a lot. Could be because he was making it all up or could be truth and he realised he shouldn’t have said it."

@StevieWard09: "You have to laugh really... as a planned boycott is about to take place he is suddenly selling again.. the realists will say he’ll get to January and it’ll be off again&buy Rafa a pizza to say sorry but it wasn’t his fault."

On Facebook...

Johnny Scalon: "Transfer window in a few weeks, get in with the excuses ahead of it, same happened last year"

Alan Steele: "Sounds like an excuse not to spend in the January window"

Kevin Brydon: "Always wants to sell before January transfer window then fighting relegation battle so no one wants to buy so he is off the hook and has to stay... we fall for it every time"