As Newcastle United finally close in on a Saudi Arabian takeover, Liverpool fans will understandably be feeling a little anxious. Maybe even envious.
Sure, the Magpies already sit 12 points behind them in the Premier League table, dwelling in the relegation zone after seven games played, while Allan Saint-Maximin is arguably the only player at St. James’ Park that Reds supporters would even be tempted by for a potential Anfield move.
But after decades mainly in the doldrums, Newcastle are about to get the very thing that has been lacking on the red half of Merseyside in recent years. Major squad investment.
While Liverpool are already at Europe’s top table, trying to fight for their seat up against Man City, Chelsea and PSG’s riches has seen FSG face inevitable backlash for their rather meagre transfer spending in comparison.
But it hasn’t always been like that since the Reds’ American owners bought the club back in October 2010, with the playing squad undergoing massive upheaval and subject to major investment as Liverpool were gradually transformed from flailing European hopefuls, fighting with mid-table fodder, to Premier League, European and World champions.
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When FSG first took over at Anfield, such success would have always been on their radar and now Newcastle’s would-be new owners will embark on their own journey to try and achieve the same.
When officially confirmed, the Magpies will become one of the richest clubs in the world overnight and reports suggest the Saudi Arabian consortium intend to invest £250m into the Newcastle playing squad and infrastructure.
So do Liverpool need to be nervously looking over their shoulders, aware that a new contender is emerging and set to be closing down on them, and becoming an extra mouth at the table in the battle for Premier League and Champions League titles?
Not this time, not yet anyway.
By also intending to comply with FFP regulations, Newcastle’s new owners will not be able to force their way to the top of the Premier League table in the blink of an eye, with Chelsea and Man City not having to deal with such regulations prior to their own takeover transformations.
A return to the Champions League for the first time since 2003 might be one aim for the Saudi owners but, as FSG themselves found out back in 2010, you have to walk before you can run.
Therefore, even with this financial backing Newcastle are highly unlikely to be challenging the Premier League’s ‘Big Four’ anytime soon, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur still desperately clinging to the ‘Big Six’ despite falling out of Champions League contention.
Instead, the North London outfits are the sides the Magpies will be looking to compete with, along with your Leicester Citys, Evertons and West Ham United, in hope of qualifying for Europe or winning a first trophy since 1955.
FSG delivered the same in their early days, winning the League Cup in their first full season before qualifying for the Europa League as a result and enjoying sporadic appearances in Europe’s secondary competition.
A first time challenge did come in 2013/14, along with a first Champions League appearance the following year, but it wasn’t until Jurgen Klopp had well and truly got his feet under the table in 2017/18, seven years on from FSG’s own arrival, did Liverpool really take their first great strides to rejoining the big boys at the top of European football.
And that’s despite the rich history they boasted, featuring then totals of 18 league titles and five European Cups after decades of dominance in the 70s and 80s, and having been genuine contenders under Rafa Benitez just a few years prior before Tom Hicks and George Gillet’s ownership of the club took its darkest turns.
That name granted them the pulling power to still attract the likes of Luis Suarez, but it would still take a number of years, Klopp’s arrival and a return to the Champions League to guarantee they didn’t regularly miss out on their transfer targets to rivals.
Meanwhile, City and Chelsea might have been such names when bought by Sheikh Mansour and Roman Abramovich in 2008 and 2003 respectively, but they had the prime locations of Manchester and London behind them as well as being free to operate at a pre-FFP time when they could just throw endless money at whatever challenges they faced to elbow their way to the top, sign whichever players they wanted and fight for instant success.
Newcastle’s fanbase is one of the best in England and they should see swift improvement under their new owners as investment starts to pour in, ensuring they are relegation fodder no more.
But with their last realistic title challenge coming nearly 25 years ago, and it being nearly 20 years since they were Champions League qualification contenders, they’ll have to wait a little while longer to be able to knock at the top table’s door once again.
Yes, their transfer record and wage bill will rise as they are left free to sign a higher calibre of player but, with it taking Liverpool a decade to reclaim elite status, the Magpies’ years in the wilderness, including seasons in the Championship in 2009/10 and 2017/18, ensures they have far more ground to make up than the Reds ever did back in 2010.
