Amanda Staveley breaks Newcastle United takeover silence and takes aim at Premier League and Magpies' rivals

LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 22: Chief Negotiator of Dubai International Capital Amanda Staveley looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League Semi Final, first leg match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on April 22, 2008 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

The mainly Saudi-financed consortium officially withdrew their £300 million offer to buy the club after waiting 16 weeks for an answer on whether they passed or failed the Premier League’s owners and directors test.

And Staveley believes the Premier League shifted the goalposts on the test in wanting to make the Saudi state a director of United, while pointing the finger at top flight rivals who did not want the investment to strengthen the Magpies.

“We are heartbroken obviously,” she told the Times.

Asked if she blamed the Premier League for taking too long to make a takeover call, she replied: “Of course we do. They had a chance, they say we have not answered all the questions and we have done so. But the other clubs in the Premier League didn’t want it to happen.“We are so heartbroken for the Newcastle fans as the investment that was going to go into the club, especially with everything happening with Brexit and Covid, would have been so important. This is catastrophic for them.“It has been going on for so long and the opportunity was there.”

Explaining the crux of the problem, she said: “The piracy issue was not an issue but we tried to resolve it anyway.“They [the Premier League] tried to make the state of Saudi a director. The PIF had agreed to become a director.“Do we give up now? I don’t know, there may be a way forward, but we have had to put a statement out.

“I’m trying to deal with the facts and we had to make a decision today.”

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