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Topics: Newcastle United, Football, Premier League
Rory O'Callaghan
Newcastle United co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi are set to leave the club less than three years after the Saudi-led takeover of the Magpies.
Staveley played a key role in the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund's (PIF) purchase of an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle for £300m in 2021.
It resulted in her receiving a 10 per cent stake in the club for her role in the takeover, which brought to an end Mike Ashley's unpopular 14-year reign at St James' Park.
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The Sun report that Staveley, 51, and her husband Ghodoussi, who had shared the responsibilities as interim co-chief executives prior to the permanent appointment of chief executive Darren Eales in 2022, now plan to leave the Premier League club.
Earlier this year, board member Staveley was reported to have sold around 40 per cent of her shares to the Reuben brothers, Jamie and David, who purchased a 10 per cent stake in Newcastle during the initial takeover.
Questions were raised about Staveley's future in March after filings on Companies House showed she had resigned as a director from 20 Newcastle-related companies.
But she played down rumours of an exit at the time.
"The changes made... were purely administrative, to non-trading subsidiaries," Staveley wrote on Instagram.
"After the takeover, Jamie (Reuben) and I stepped in as directors of all companies until we could build an executive team. We remain on the 'top-co' and the board."
However, The Athletic have now also reported that Staveley and Ghodoussi will leave following changes to the structure at the top of the club.
"After being stripped back under Ashley, Newcastle now have a more rounded corporate structure, with Darren Eales in place as chief executive and Paul Mitchell recently replacing Dan Ashworth as sporting director," read the report.
"All parties have reluctantly concluded that the time is right for Staveley and Ghodoussi to step back and sell their shareholding and for the club to move on."
The British businesswoman is reportedly unlikely to be replaced on Newcastle's board in the short-term.
Staveley is a popular figure among Newcastle fans, having played a key role in the club's success since the takeover.
Since her arrival, Newcastle qualified for the Champions League last year, before crashing out in the group stages.
They also reached the Carabao Cup final in the 2022/23 campaign, losing to Manchester United.
Eddie Howe's side finished seventh in the Premier League last season and will hope to build on that, with the club expected to be active in the summer transfer market.