Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is not actively seeking to sell the club but is open to any suitable offers.
Thesportswear tycoon has been widely criticised since he took control ofthe club in 2007 and his critics were given further ammunition byreports in Wednesday's press suggesting he was ready to sell up.
However, those reports appear to be wide of the mark despite theSports Direct owner coming under increased pressure to end his tenure atthe club following the recent controversial appointment of Joe Kinnearas director of football.
Ashley is believed to be holding out for an offer that will allow himto recoup all of the money he has spent in his six years in charge atSt James' Park, a figure of £267m according to the latest DeloitteAnnual Review of Football Finance published earlier this month.
Ashley launched his bid for the club in May 2007 when he bought theHall family's shareholding and had full control in July that year afterpurchasing the shares of then chairman Freddy Shepherd.
That is reported to have cost the Buckinghamshire-born businessmanaround £134m but, having failed to undertake due diligence before histakeover, he had to spend a further £100m clearing out existing debts.
Ashley also footed a large proportion of the club's wage billfollowing their relegation from the Premier League in 2009 to help fundtheir immediate return to the top flight.
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