Man Utd, Liverpool takeover talk addressed by Amanda Staveley as co-owner makes Newcastle intentions clear
Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley has addressed talk regarding PIF takeovers of Manchester United and Liverpool following the Magpies’ success.
Newcastle have seen their fortunes change for the better since they were taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund in late 2021. Indeed, at that point they were threatened by relegation and spending money was very rare.
By the end of last season, they were 11th in the Premier League and had some great new assets to call upon. Indeed, Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier were two of the statement additions to the side.
As was manager Eddie Howe, who has been rewarded with more fresh talent this term.
The likes of Guimaraes and Trippier have been in top form again this season. New goalkeeper Nick Pope and Sven Botman have also been top performers, among a number of existing squad members.
The transformation Howe’s side has undergone has meant for a lot of great results. Newcastle are currently fifth in the Premier League, having lost just two league games all season.
They also made it to their first final since 1999, eventually losing 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final to Manchester United. That they’ve come so far in such little time has been massive for the club.
And turning around a club who were in a poor spot could mean PIF heads are turned, with Man Utd and Liverpool up for sale. If Newcastle are so successful, think what might happen if they were to take over a side that’s had a good deal of recent success.
Staveley explains Newcastle takeover
Newcastle co-owner Staveley has recently spoken on the initial decision to take over Newcastle.
“When we looked at Newcastle, we were very clear we wanted a club with a passionate fanbase. We got that. We also wanted a club we could buy affordably because we [Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghoudoussi] are also partners with PIF,” Staveley told the Financial Times Football Summit.
“We are not that wealthy. We’re the poor partner and that helps govern a lot of decisions. We didn’t go for the wonderful Tottenham [Hotspur] and Chelsea and Liverpool.
“I’m a massive Liverpool fan and we tried to buy them but we walked into a Newcastle game and said ‘why spend X billion when you can spend £350m [on Newcastle]?'”
Staveley puts minds at ease over potential takeovers
And despite the success Newcastle have had, Staveley doesn’t think it will be the catalyst for another big takeover.
“No, I don’t think so [if PIF could switch their interest]. I can’t speak for PIF but I really can’t see that happening. We’ve built in the last year from 11th to hoping we have a chance of the Champions League,” she added.
“We have put in £200m to date of new money. And we have a business plan based on a five, 10, 15-year timeline. With FFP rules as tight as they are, we really need to do everything we can to grow our revenue and grow our finances.”
Indeed, Newcastle could become a powerhouse of English football for years to come. As such, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that PIF are more than happy to carry on with the club.
Public bids for Man Utd have been tabled by two groups, one fronted by Qatari Sheikh Jassim and the other by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
It seems a lot more likely that one of those groups will be successful in buying United than PIF will, given Staveley suggests they’re not likely to bid at all.