Financier Amanda Staveley, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and billionaire investors David and Simon Reuben, has agreed a £300million deal for the club with owner Mike Ashley.
The Gazette reported last week that it was a done deal following a submission to Companies House, and The Times today report a source “close to the deal” as saying: “There’s no backing out for either side now.”
A deposit has been paid, and the deal is now subject to the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test.
Former United striker Alan Shearer, however, remains “cautious”. Shearer told The Sun: “I refuse to get excited until the sale of the club actually goes through. I’m reluctant to get my hopes up – we’ve been here before, so what is the point? So until the deal is done, I remain cautious.”
