Many suspect - and hope - that Newcastle United’s quest for success will follow a similar trajectory to Manchester City’s over the last decade. The meteoric rise at Eastlands is unprecedented and has seen the former also-rans transform into Premier League powerhouses.
Chelsea’s game-changing takeover came beforehand but the Blues were already competing at the upper echelons of the table when Roman Abramovich parked his tanks in West London. When Sheikh Mansour arrived in Manchester, he declared war on the rest of the division by signing Brazilian superstar Robinho.
If City provided Toon chiefs with the perfect post-takeover blueprint, Everton did the opposite. The Toffees have spent over £500million since Farhad Moshiri became their majority shareholder in 2016 and only secured top-flight survival by the skin of their teeth this season. However, a gulf-state takeover like the one at St James’ Park or the Etihad Stadium guarantees a higher possibility of success.
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Newcastle fans are anticipating a summer of excitement as the new Saudi-backed regime undertake their first summer transfer window. A breakdown of how Man City operated 13 years ago could give supporters an indication of what to expect on Tyneside.
Free from the constraints of Financial Fair Play, the champions shelled out £125.2million in 2009 on Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry and Kolo Toure. Those six additions helped City climb up to fifth spot after finishing 10 the previous season.
Using Totally Money’s Transfer Index, a tool that adjusts fees according to football inflation, Newcastle would need to fork out £288.6million to match City’s outlay that summer. The continued influx of revenue from broadcasters has caused transfer fees to skyrocket and, with the introduction of FFP, the Magpies’ path to the top is not as straightforward as their predecessor.
Amanda Staveley & Co have promised a steady build on Tyneside and supporters will likely accept that given the 14-year unambitious reign of Mike Ashley. Splashing out almost £300million to match City’s feat in 2009 seems unthinkable given the financial repercussions the Premier League and UEFA could impose.
If Newcastle were to spend just half of that there would be an acknowledgement that the club is heading in the right direction. Man City - backed by Mansour’s millions - were able to attract six standout names with Mark Hughes in charge so there is no reason why the Magpies and Eddie Howe cannot aim big.
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