Published: October 7, 2021 6:53 pm
Last Updated: October 7, 2021 6:54 pm
Newcastle takeover officially complete
If I was able to quote my best friend – as ardent a Newcastle supporter as any – when he reacted to the official news directly from the club that Mike Ashley is out as owner and St. James’ Park is under new management.
🤝 An investment group led by the Public Investment Fund, and also comprising PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media, has completed the acquisition of 100% of Newcastle United Limited and Newcastle United Football Club Limited from St. James Holdings Limited.
⚫️⚪️
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 7, 2021
Quotes regarding the finalized takeover read as follows (further can be found in the link directly above);
“All requisite approvals have been obtained from the English Premier League and the acquisition was completed on 7 October 2021.
The Investment Group is comprised of long-term, patient investors who have every confidence in the future success of the Club. Today’s announcement is the conclusion of a thorough and detailed process that has allowed the Investment Group to arrive at a deal that benefits all stakeholders and will leave Newcastle United well-placed to pursue a clear, long-term strategy.”
But despite the enormous wealth at the disposal of Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the conglomerate responsible for prying Tyneside from the clutches of Ashley, the club must adhere to current FFP regulations when it comes to their expected spend spree.
This is good news, however, as Newcastle will be allowed to spend in excess of £200million without breaching FFP regulations because Ashley has left the club in relative good shape according to MailOnline.
What does that mean for the impending shopping excursion for Steve Bruce and company? Here are five players that Newcastle could realistically purchase in January.
Max Aarons
It seems almost inevitable that Norwich will struggle once again to avoid the drop. Although Newcastle are in a similar position at the minute in the Premier League table, the size of the club in domestic terms will still undoubtedly attract players given the wages the Magpies will be able to spend. One of those players should be Max Aarons.
Norwich City’s Max Aarons has a shot on goal during the Premier League match at Carrow Road, Norwich. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images)
A modern fullback who has plenty of room for progression, Aarons would constitute a long-term starting right-back that can certainly be viewed as an upgrade on both Emil Krafth and Javier Mamquillo. Aarons also ticks the homegrown box, and given he has been courted previously by bigger clubs, Newcastle should use this chance to pounce.
Samuel Umtiti
Though Samuel Umtiti has had a considerable fall from grace, the French international will unquestionably be available in January after Barcelona failed to find a buyer for the former Olympique Lyonnais standout this summer.
Newcastle could target the center-back as an upgrade on the likes of Fabian Schär, Ciaran Clark, and Federico Fernandez to partner Jamaal Lascelles in the heart of defense. The downside, of course, would be Umtiti’s track record, but if he could stay healthy, the purchase could be a bit of a coup for the club at at a cut-price.
Donny van de Beek; Newcastle coup
In what would be a huge transfer coup for Newcastle, taking a stab at the highly under-appreciated Donny van de Beek would be a real astute piece of business.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 24: Donny Van De Beek of Manchester United reacts during the UEFA Champions League Group H stage match between Manchester United and İstanbul Basaksehir at Old Trafford on November 24, 2020 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
VdB has found life incredibly difficult since his move from Ajax to Manchester United in the summer of 2020, with the Dutch international featuring only on 20 occasions in the Premier League. Despite his frustration, Ole Gunnar Solskjær is said to not want to lose the Nijkerkerveen-native, but a chance to run the show in the Newcastle midfield while still being on considerable – or bigger – wages could be too good a chance to pass up; an opportunity to get his career back on track.
Guus Til
A name many in England likely will not have heard of previously, the Dutch international attacking midfielder is having a standout season in the 2021-22 Eredivisie campaign for giants Feyenoord.
Til, a product of the vaunted Az Alkmaar youth academy pipeline has spent time in both Russia (with Spartak Moscow) and on loan in the Bundesliga with SC Freiburg before his arrival back home with Feyenoord. He offers goals from just behind the main striker, but also a high degree of technical competency thanks to his AZ education. He would be an ideal fit for Newcastle boss Steve Bruce in terms of adding goals that don’t come from Callum Wilson or Allan Saint-Maximin.
Owen Wijndal
The third Dutchman to make the list and for good reason, Owen Wijndal – another AZ Alkmaar product – would follow Myron Boadu, Calvin Stengs, and Teun Koopmeiners out of the AFAS Stadion this season after his international colleagues all left for France and Italy.
Wijndal, like Aarons, is a modern fullback that possesses excellent pace, a high degree of technical ability, and tactical balance given his ability to thrive in both a possession-based system but also be direct on the ball in the final third. Though the club are able to spend a massive sum starting in Janaury, remaining prudent in terms of how they build – both focusing on immediate improvement as well as long term growth – should be vital.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Chelsea FC | 7 | 12 | 16 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 7 | 11 | 15 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 7 | 11 | 14 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 7 | 8 | 14 |
| 5 | Everton FC | 7 | 5 | 14 |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 7 | 3 | 14 |
| 7 | Brentford FC | 7 | 4 | 12 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 7 | -4 | 12 |
| 9 | West Ham United | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 10 | Aston Villa | 7 | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | Arsenal FC | 7 | -5 | 10 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 7 | -1 | 9 |
| 13 | Leicester City | 7 | -3 | 8 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 7 | -3 | 7 |
| 15 | Watford FC | 7 | -3 | 7 |
| 16 | Leeds United | 7 | -7 | 6 |
| 17 | Southampton FC | 7 | -5 | 4 |
| 18 | Burnley FC | 7 | -6 | 3 |
| 19 | Newcastle United | 7 | -8 | 3 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 7 | -14 | 1 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 6 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 6 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 5 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 4 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 4 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4 |
| Sarr, Ismaila | Watford FC | 4 |
| Townsend, Andros | Everton FC | 3 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 3 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 3 |
| Gray, Demarai | Everton FC | 3 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 3 |
| Lukaku, Romelu | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 3 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Hwang, Hee-chan | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 3 |
| Greenwood, Mason | Manchester United | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 2 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 2 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 4 |
| Skipp, Oliver | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 4 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 0 | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 3 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 0 | 3 |
| Cooper, Liam | Leeds United | 0 | 3 |
| Norgaard, Christian | Brentford FC | 0 | 3 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 3 |
| Veltman, Joel | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 3 |
| Brownhill, Josh | Burnley FC | 0 | 3 |
| Etebo, Oghenekaro | Watford FC | 0 | 3 |
| Djenepo, Moussa | Southampton FC | 0 | 3 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 0 | 1 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 2 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 2 |
| Jimenez, Raul | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 2 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 0 | 2 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 2 |
| Alonso, Marcos | Chelsea FC | 0 | 2 |
| Ward Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 1 | 1 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 7 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 4 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 4 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 3 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 3 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Townsend, Andros | Everton FC | 2 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 2 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Toney, Ivan | Brentford FC | 2 |
| Jimenez, Raul | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 2 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 2 |
| Azpilicueta, Cesar | Chelsea FC | 2 |
| Gross, Pascal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 |
| King, Joshua | Watford FC | 2 |
| Pereira, Ricardo | Leicester City | 2 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 2 |
