Newcastle United news: Turkish billionaire Murat Ulker denies interest in buying Premier League club from Mike Ashley
Turkey's richest man and the biscuit king tycoon quashes reports he was ready to pay £220million to purchase the Magpies
TURKEY’S richest man has denied reports he is interested in buying Newcastle United.
Billionaire biscuit king Murat Ulker was claimed to be mounting an offer to buy the Magpies.
And the Evening Standard stated he was prepared to pay £220million to purchase the club from Mike Ashley.
The much-maligned Newcastle owner Ashley announced on Monday that the North East outfit were up for sale.
However, a statement from Ulker's Yildiz Holding company said: "The company is not purchasing Newcastle United football club and no discussions about the team have taken place.
"We wish them the best of luck in finding a new owner."
Yildiz Holdings is a Turkish-based European food empire and boasts 56,000 members of staff and owns a number of household names such as McVitie’s, Penguins and Jaffa Cakes.
He is worth £2.8billion according to Forbes and would have become the first person from his country to own a top-flight English team if he had completed the deal.
OVER THE TOON Newcastle United fans react with joy on Twitter as they learn owner Mike Ashley wants to sell the club by Christmas
The potential sale will see Ashley’s controversial ten-year reign on Tyneside come to an end.
And that will delight the loyal supporters of the North East side.
LATEST NEWCASTLE UNITED NEWS
Ashley has oversaw two relegations and employed nine managers during that time.
Newcastle had previously declined to comment on the speculation surrounding Ulker.
And he is not the only one to have been linked with a takeover bid - WWE owner Vince McMahon is another name rumoured to be interested.