It is the news Newcastle fans have been dreaming about for years – a big-money takeover and the possible departure of Mike Ashley.
Most supporters hope a new regime might come in one day to take their club to another level. In the case of the Saudi Arabia-backed £300million takeover of Newcastle, that should be the case. A sovereign wealth fund worth around £320billion should be able to lift the fog on the Tyne.
But how does a deal actually happen? How does someone, a company or even a country go from an idea of owning a football club to actually running one?