Newcastle United’s new owners say they want to transform the club into a superpower like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain after completing their £305million takeover.
Newcastle United now boasts the wealthiest football club owners on the planet and, as thousands of supporters celebrated at St James’ Park, Staveley said, “Of course we have the same ambitions as Manchester City and PSG in terms of trophies, absolutely, but that will take time”.
“Do we want to win the Premier League within five to 10 years? Yes. This takeover is hugely transformative. We want to see trophies. But trophies need investment, time, patience and teamwork”.
Head coach Steve Bruce is set to lose his job and it is understood the new owners are ready to pay the £8million needed to remove him.
They are aware of the negative impact it could have if he remains in charge for the first game of their regime at home to Spurs a week on Sunday.
However, they are also mindful of the difficulties they could face in appointing a new manager, especially if their top targets are already in a job.
Staveley and the board – including PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Jamie Reuben – will be making the decision on a managerial change.
It is said they would prefer to make an appointment with Premier League experience, and Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers is one name that has been mooted in recent days.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is also said to be intrigued by what is set to happen at St James’, and sources in Scotland believe this will be his final season at Ibrox.
Former Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez would have been installed had the takeover not collapsed last year, but he decided to join Everton this summer before the deal was revived.
Supporters will be relieved to know that Bruce’s days are numbered. A poll just this week revealed that 94 percent of fans want him to resign.
That, though, was always unlikely given the mega payoff he is owed. Outgoing owner Mike Ashley was also reluctant to foot the compensation bill, an issue now inherited by the new owners and one they accept they need to deal with.