Newcastle United fans deserve the takeover which should usher in an era of Champions League football and 'world-class players' on Tyneside.
That is the view of former Magpies winger John Barnes, who expects the buy out from the consortium backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to mirror the impact of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.
News of the long-awaited takeover was greeted by jubilant scenes outside St James' Park last Thursday, with thousands of fans celebrating long into the night.
Mike Ashley's turbulent 14-year tenure had seen apathy grip the fanbase, and driven supporters away due to a lack of ambition on and off the pitch.
The takeover - which was more than a year in the making - has transformed United into one of the world's richest clubs, and now speculation around the club is dominated by transfers and potential titles.
It is a deal which has attracted controversy over Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record, and the Magpies' Premier League rivals held an emergency meeting in response to the deal being approved.
However, Barnes, who spent two years at St James' Park after signing for Kenny Dalglish in 1997, believes Newcastle fans have a right to be 'excited' by the new owners' ambition for the club.
The former winger expects United will one day find themselves in a position to challenge for Champions League glory, and is looking forward to seeing his former club again signing elite players.
He told Bonus Code Bets: “If you are a Newcastle fan, you should be excited by the new owners.
“When something like this happens, like when Roman Abramovich took over at Chelsea, we see better quality players come to the Premier League, and another club who could potentially be fighting to win the Champions League in years to come.
“I’m happy for the Newcastle fans though, they deserve it and I’m certainly looking forward to the new world class players they attract.”
