Ashley latest: Making friends in Dubai

Obviously Mike Ashley is that confident of selling the club that he decided to take Dickhead Dekka Llambias and Ratboy drinking rather than attend a key investment meeting with high-rollers in Dubai. The latest from the Arabianbusiness.com suggests:

"Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley snubbed a crucial meeting with Arab investors on Tuesday night - choosing instead to spend the evening drinking Mojito cocktails at a Dubai beach bar.

Ashley had been due to hold talks with Dubai officials over a possible sale of the club, at the Mina A`Salam Ramadan Tent, in the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel.

The meeting was due to begin at 11pm, and followed the handing over of sale documents for the club earlier in the day, in which Ashley stated he wanted no less than $860 million to sell Newcastle FC - more than twice the sum he paid for it in 2007.

Sources close to the talks say an offer had been made to buy the club on Tuesday, of around $360 million. A follow-up meeting was planned to discuss the offer. However, Ashley arrived at the Bahri Bar, just five minutes walk from the Ramadan Tent, at just before 10pm last night and began ordering drinks.

He was joined at the bar by Newcastle United managing director Derek Llambias and director of football Dennis Wise. While standing at the bar Ashley was overheard to tell Llambias that he wouldn`t go to the Ramadan Tent saying the earlier offer was an "insult".

Wise and Llambias briefly left the bar on several occasions to answer calls on their mobile phones, while Ashley himself remained. The group left shortly after 1am on Wednesday morning. Dubai officials had gathered at the nearby Al Majlis beachside tent, where Ashley had been invited to join them for talks over dinner.

Ashley and his party were due to be flying back to the UK on Thursday morning. However, it is understood they may leave Dubai on Wednesday, as the chances of any takeover fade."

Class stuff Michael. Pure class.

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