The long-awaited Saudi takeover of Newcastle United is expected to be confirmed later today, reports The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards.
It will see Newcastle become one of the most financially powerful clubs in the world and bring an end to the 14-year reign of Mike Ashley.
Newcastle United Saudi Takeover Finally Over the Line
Change of Fortunes
It has been a long and frustrating 18 months for Newcastle fans, with a takeover seeming close but then falling through, leaving the club rudderless and with an owner in Mike Ashley who has been keen to sell for a long time.
Now, finally, those frustrations are about to end with a Saudi Arabian-led consortium ready to take control of the club in a takeover that will change the fortunes of the sleeping giant as they will become of the most powerful financial forces in football.
The face of the deal will initially be British businesswoman Amanda Staveley, who will oversee the initial changes at the club, including changes to the board, but she will then step aside once everything behind the scenes is in place.
Streaming Controversy That Halted Initial Bid
Saudi Arabia has been behind many of the world’s illegal sports streaming sites and was one reason why the initial takeover in 2020 was halted, but the country has now lifted its ban on beIN Sports to allow Premier League matches to be broadcast once again.
Another issue that has now been resolved is that of assurances now being given to the Premier League that the Saudi state itself will not be involved in the daily football operations of the club.
Good News for Newcastle Fans, Potentially Bad News for Steve Bruce
Despite managing to keep Newcastle in the top flight since taking over from Rafael Benitez in July 2019, Bruce has been an unpopular manager at the club and the takeover could well see his departure hastened with the new owners likely to want a higher profile name who will be ready to spend big money in the January 2022 transfer window.
The Guardian reports that Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane are two names already on the Saudi’s wanted list and both are known to work well with money behind them rather than having to rely on working with youth players and limited resources.
Conte, for example, walked away from negotiations over the Tottenham Hotspur job due a perceived lack of financial investment that would have made a quick success harder to achieve so he could well be one to watch.
Newcastle United Saudi Takeover – A Bright Future at Last?
The first task for the new owners is to rebuild the infrastructure at Newcastle, including the creation of a new training complex and academy set-up as well as investing in the local community to create jobs and regeneration, which has already been met with approval by local businesses, MP’s and council members.
Not since the days of Kevin Keegan as manager and the likes of Faustino Asprilla playing to the Gallowgate End have fans of Newcastle been so excited for their club’s future.
Title challenges and cup finals have been things of the past in recent years but with the takeover now close to being completed, they can start to dream once more.
Fans will look to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City and now hope that their own dream of sustained success is just around the corner.
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