Soccer

Saudi wealth fund close to buying Newcastle United in €400m deal

Talks at advanced stage but obstacles remain to finalise takeover from owner Mike Ashley

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is negotiating with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s investment vehicle – over a possible £340m takeover. Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Getty

Louise Taylor
Sun Jan 26 2020 - 18:53

A shell company has been registered to facilitate the potential £340 million (€400 million) takeover of Newcastle by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund as sources close to the deal claim they are now "90 per cent certain" it will succeed.

It seems the coming week could prove critical as a tipping point has been reached, dictating that the next few days will lead to the club's owner, Mike Ashley, selling or a takeover first proposed nine months ago will founder.

Amanda Staveley, the Dubai-based financier serving as a conduit between the Saudis and Ashley hopes to assume a minority 10 per cent stake in any final agreement and on January 6th set up PZ Newco Ltd with an address on London's Park Lane.

The PZ refers to Project Zebra – the codename for the planned Newcastle takeover – and the two listed directors are Staveley and her husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi. The fledgling company would be used as a vehicle to transfer shares if any deal is finally completed.

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Uncertainty

Although due diligence has been completed and advanced talks have been taking place for four months that remains a significant if. Particularly as Ashley has said that the leak of details of any proposed takeover before contracts are exchanged would make it unlikely to happen. In general, major football buyouts – most notably Abu Dhabi's of Manchester City – are conducted in blanket secrecy.

Tellingly Ashley is said to be unimpressed by this latest leak, which all involved parties acknowledge has placed the transaction in jeopardy. The retail tycoon described a previous attempted by Staveley two years ago to buy Newcastle as a time-wasting exercise.

Even so, Ashley is still negotiating with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund – Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's investment vehicle – and, although senior figures at Newcastle remain sceptical as to the outcome, Staveley's camp have made detailed plans for the football operation at Newcastle after a transfer of power. There would though be no major changes, with Steve Bruce expected to remain as manager. Perhaps the biggest puzzle is why the Saudis would want to involve Staveley in a consortium also potentially including the billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben.

It is understood this unlikely tie-up reflects an initial approach from Staveley to the Saudis and their subsequent enthusiasm for her holding a minority stake while serving as the public face of the club.

Unlikely bedfellows

At first glance, the Reubens and the Crown Prince appear unlikely bedfellows. However, the former held brief preliminary discussions about involvement in Newcastle with Staveley before her failed attempt to buy out Ashley and large parts of their extensive property empire are centred on Tyneside.

Saudi involvement at the heart of a wider consortium could be seen as part of a public relations initiative designed to dampen criticism of the Gulf country’s shocking human rights record, association with Islamic fundamentalism and lack of women’s rights.

Prince Mohammed is keen to reset Saudi Arabia’s global image and the purchase of European sporting institutions fits the country’s Vision 2030 rebranding exercise, which aims to use soft geopolitical power to encourage, among other things, tourism.

Project Zebra’s vision includes not only a £200 million investment in the squad but the regeneration of run-down parts of Newcastle in much the same way that Abu Dhabi’s royal family has invested in areas of east Manchester since its 2008 purchase of City. – Guardian

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