THERE is renewed hope that the Newcastle Jets will survive beyond the end of this season, as a prospective ownership group prepares to resume takeover talks, while at least one other consortium has emerged as a fallback.
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The future of the Jets has been under a cloud since earlier this week when the Newcastle Herald revealed that negotiations aimed at selling the franchise to FC32 - a company that has interests in European football teams - had stalled.
FC32 were understood to have grown frustrated about a lack of clarity from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), which runs the A-Leagues, about key financial details.
Fears that the Jets could be forced to fold if the FC32 deal fell over mounted after APL chairman Stephen Conroy said it would be a "terrible tragedy" if the foundation club was not part of the A-Leagues next season.
"We need to know by relatively soon whether this is going to be a club that is going to play next season or not," Conroy said on Tuesday.
Since then, it is understood that FC32 have resumed negotiations and the Herald has been told that senior executives from the group are expected to fly into Australia from their US base next week to "close the deal".
If that does not transpire, the Herald understands that two other consortiums are waiting in the wings and have made offers to the current custodians. It is unclear how they stack up to the FC32 proposal.
Jets executive chairman Shane Mattiske emailed the club's members on Wednesday to claim there were "several parties" still interested in buying the club, which has been under interim ownership for three years.
The Herald has been told that an Australian consortium, which was one of the under-bidders to FC32, has resurfaced.
That group is understood to be led by investors who have previously been involved with an A-League club in Melbourne.
"There is another party in discussions which is willing ready and able to take over if FC32 fail," a source told the Herald.
It is understood that a Sydney-based group is also interested in taking on the foundation club.
FC32, which is partially backed by the investment group Athletic Ventures - plans to build a seven-club portfolio. They already own Swiss second-tier club AC Bellinzona and also have a share in Italian Serie A side Salernitana 1919.
The Herald understands that FC32, which has been in negotiations for more than six months, had agreed on a price to purchase the Jets.
The sticking point has been a lack of clarity from the APL regarding the annual financial distribution.
This season each franchise received $2 million in grants, which was cut from $2.3 million. The APL is yet to confirm what the dispersal will be next season.
However, there is speculation that the grants could come down further.
The Herald has been told by sources with knowledge of the complex situation that FC32 want to renegotiate their original offer in response to the lack of clarification.
The Jets operate under one of the smallest budgets in the A-League.
First-year head coach Rob Stanton has rebuilt the squad with an emphasis on youth.
Teenager Clayton Taylor has emerged as one of the finds of the season, striker Apostolos Stamatelopous has the second most goals in the competition and defenders Lucas Mauragis and Mark Natta have been selected in the Australian under-23s.
Taylor, Stamatelopoulos and Natta have recently signed contract extensions, despite interest from overseas and rival A-League clubs.
More than half the squad is contracted for next season.
If the current owners cannot finalise a sale and the club is placed into liquidation, there is the potential for legal action from the players.
