Newcastle United news: Finance guru baffled as Amanda Staveley’s £41m fib exposed
It is impossible to discern why Amanda Staveley appears to have misled fans over how she financed her stake in Newcastle United.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Staveley’s legal war with Mike Ashley.
Ex-Newcastle owner Ashley is suing Staveley for breaching the terms of a £10million loan she used to finance her 10 per cent stake in the takeover.
As per BBC Sport on Saturday (19 February), official court documents show that she also borrowed £30.5m from a separate lender.
That means the financier has borrowed a total of £40.5m despite previously stating that she used her personal wealth to pay for the purchase.
Staveley is on record as saying that she used family money and sold a New York hotel to raise the cash.
Plumley admitted that he is at a loss to make sense of the 48-year-old’s story.
“I can’t get a handle on this one,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“There is nothing I’ve seen in the numbers that would give us a clue as to why she has done this.
“The legal case is ongoing, so we might get some answers further down the line.
“But we are clutching at straws with the narrative of why she would say that.
“She has given this story and then it appears that she has borrowed from Mike Ashley. I have no idea.”
Newcastle are undefeated in six league matches and currently 17th in the table.
Eddie Howe’s side are next in action at Brentford on Saturday (26 February).
In other news, pundit suggests Newcastle United may have found unexpected new Patrick Vieira amid “massive” manager claim.