Bellagraph Nova Group's bid to complete a takeover at Newcastle United was 'genuine'.

That's the view of former Magpies striker Michael Chopra, who also made a cryptic claim about the Saudi-led consortium's offer.

The Singapore-based group submitted an offer last year following the initial breakdown of the Public Investment Fund's approach.

However, the reported low-ball offer was not enough to get the group past the "contact with Mike Ashley's advisors" stage.

The bid then descended into farce with doctored images on the group's website, "proof of funding" claims and the absurd vow of signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Nelson Loh, one of two cousins credited as the driving force of the bid, was then declared bankrupt in a court in Singapore.

He left the country at the end of 2020, leading his cousin Terence to claim he felt "betrayed" as an outstanding debt of over $14 million to DBS Bank" was reported by the Strait Times.

Chopra was involved in an advisory capacity with the group, and insists their £280m offer was simply ignored by Ashley's lawyer.

He told FourFourTwo: "It was through contacts in Indonesia and Singapore that I became involved in the Bellagraph Nova Group's takeover bid at Newcastle United last year.

"I won't go into all the details. But that offer was genuine. It was shortly after the Saudis pulled out, which was something I'd become aware of weeks before it became public.

"The BNG Group lodged a £280m bid, had proof of funds and a sound business plan, but to cut a long story short, they got no reply from Mike Ashley's lawyer. It was strange.

"We'll see what happens with the Newcastle takeover - there's more about the Saudi bid which hasn't come out yet."