Kieran Maguire makes bold Newcastle United claim as takeover now looks likely
Newcastle United could become the ‘mothership’ of a multi-club network under their Saudi Arabian owners.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the links between PIF and a new club takeover.
As reported by Bloomberg, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund are considering buying another top football club in Europe.
Multi-club networks under one ownership group have become commonplace in football in recent years, with Manchester City’s City Football Group and the Red Bull Group two of the most prominent networks within the sport.
After investing further in their own domestic league, Saudi Arabia are still keen to keep investing internationally and could form a multi-club organisation of their own.
Maguire insists that Newcastle will likely remain the ‘mothership’ for PIF in a multi-club network, similar to City’s role with CFG.
“I think it is highly unlikely that Newcastle United would become a minor party if PIF buy another club in Europe,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“If we take a look at most multi-club organisations, there always tends to be a mothership club.
“That is certainly the case with City Football Group and Man City.
“Ultimately, if PIF do own multiple clubs, they want to win trophies and so it makes sense to concentrate investment into one club and I think it is almost certainly going to be Newcastle.
“It is a club with huge potential and it already has a huge following domestically and the international fanbase is also rapidly growing.“
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