Newcastle United appear to be heading closer to new ownership as a £300 million takeover seems to be edging ever nearer.
Documents emerged earlier in the week that indicated that a takeover by Amanda Staveley is imminent, with the deal now thought to be in the hands of the Premier League.
However, as reported by the Newcastle Chronicle, the club are maintaining a “no comment” stance on the situation as Mike Ashley’s 13-year spell as chairman at St James’ Park looks to be coming to an end, much to the delight of the Toon Army.
The takeover is likely to mean that the Magpies will have more financial power, with funds expected to be made available to whoever is in charge of the upcoming transfer windows.
It is not the first time that a Premier League club has found a boost in their finances after a takeover.
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took charge of Chelsea in 2003 and has helped the club lift five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and a Champions League amongst others.
But what lessons can Newcastle’s new owners learn from Chelsea and Roman Abramovic?
Football.london’s Chelsea correspondent Oliver Harbord spoke to the Newcastle Chronicle to give his thoughts.
“When Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003, it changed the game of the Premier League and the way money could be spent,” he said.
“If the Blues wanted a player, the Russian was there with a bottomless chequebook to invest wherever was needed.
“However, the only early warning would be that money won’t buy you instant success and it will take time to build the right team, with the right manager, to bring glory.
“Big money these days is not the same as it was in 2003 and Newcastle won’t just be able to bully the rest of the league.”
Newcastle are currently in 13th place in the Premier League table, eight points clear of the relegation zone. Should the takeover go through as expected it is likely that they will have loftier ambitions for next season’s table.
