Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has officially put the club up for sale and wants a deal to be done by Christmas.
According to reports, Ashley has been looking for a way out of his 10-year association with the club since the summer.
In a bid a speed up the sale of his premier league club, he has included a “buy now, pay later” deal.
However, the asking price remains in the region of £400million.
In June, it was reported that Chinese investors wanted to buy the club but Sportsmail has since learned that was a tactic to flush out real interest.
Ashley would be looking to use the presence of manager Rafa Benitez to tempt potential buyer given his well known global appeal.
Benitez had earlier angered the retail tycoon when he made public comments claiming that he had been misled over investments in the squad.
The manager was perhaps let off the hook due to the owner’s desire to sell the club and retain Benitez in order to attract good buyers,