Who is Sheikh Khaled? All we know about "the buyer" from Newcastle United

Mike Ashley's time as owner of Newcastle United may soon end.

Ashley, who had a bad relationship with the Newcastle fanbase at the time he was the owner, was looking for a buyer for the club since it went on sale in 2017.

According to Sun, Ashley will leave after 12 years at the head of Tyneside after agreeing to sell the club for £ 350 million.

The publication claims that Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan is about to become the new owner of the Pies with contracts already signed and submitted to the league.

But what do we know about the potential buyer of the club?

Aged 61, he is a member of the Royal Family of Abu Dhabi and is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the Gulf States.

He earned a degree in Business Administration from Boston University before completing a PhD in Finance at Michigan State University.

He founded the Bin Zayed Group in 1988, mainly in the fields of construction and energy, trade and industry, real estate, and technology and financial services.

Although his personal fortune is unknown, his family would represent about 150 billion pounds sterling.

Sheikh Khaled is president of the United Arab Emirates Sail and Rowing Federation. He tried to buy Liverpool for £ 2bn, but his mission was unsuccessful.

Although he has not yet had direct experience in running a football club, his family has a long history.

He is the cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, who also showed interest in buying Newcastle in 2008.

Mansour finally bought Manchester City and turned the club into the best team in the Premier League.

He recently saw his team win two consecutive Premier League titles before finishing a historic hat-trick.