Newcastle co-owner and director Amanda Staveley has revealed that the Magpies’ Saudi Arabia-backed owners previously had the opportunity to buy “wonderful” Premier League club Chelsea.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) launched a successful takeover of Newcastle last October after striking an eye-watering £300m deal with Mike Ashley.
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Staveley played an instrumental role in the Saudi consortium’s Newcastle takeover bid, with the PIF holding the majority stake in the club with its 80 per cent share.
The 48-year-old British business executive’s firm, PCP Capital Partners, took a 10 per cent share and the other 10 per cent went to the Reuben brothers’ RB Sports and Media.
Staveley, who was appointed to Newcastle’s board of directors after the takeover, has claimed the Saudi-backed investors could have purchased the Blues.
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Speaking at a Financial Times live press conference on Thursday, she said: “We had the opportunity to look at Chelsea -- a wonderful club -- but there was only one club for us and there will only be one club for us.”
Staveley previously suggested that Newcastle’s owners were looking at three other European clubs, but she said that one league’s structure was a complete “mess.”
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, 55, has confirmed plans to sell the Stamford Bridge outfit amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighbouring country Ukraine.
Abramovich had handed “stewardship and care” of Chelsea to the club’s trustees after coming under scathing criticism for his alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he has staunchly denied.
The billionaire Russian oligarch has slapped a reported £3bn price tag on Chelsea, with even UFC superstar Conor McGregor expressing his interest in buying the club.
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Staveley has claimed that it is ‘unfair’ that Abramovich has faced mounting pressure to end his near-two-decade-long ownership of Chelsea.
“I’m really sad today that someone is going to have their football club taken away because of a relationship they may have with someone,” she said.
“I don’t think that is fair, actually, to be honest. But we do have to hold all of our relationships to account.”
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Newcastle United, Chelsea, Premier League, England, Football
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