Newcastle United owners’ multi-million pound strategy to follow in Manchester City’s footsteps

As Newcastle hope to get the better of Manchester City when they return to Premier League action on Saturday (12:30pm kick-off), the club’s owners have a long-term ambition to surpass the current English champions.

After Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United, Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley vowed that the club would win almost every major honour possible under the stewardship of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.

The confidence is certainly there from the club’s owners, but there is still plenty of work to do both on and off the field for The Magpies to be consistently challenging the elite clubs in England and across Europe. All while adhering to Financial Fair Play regulations, something Man City have struggled with.

Newcastle’s training ground has been upgraded and there are plans to extend St James’s Park after the club reacquired the Strawberry Place land behind the Gallowgate Stand after it was sold by former owner Mike Ashley in 2019.

But the club’s owners have ambitions beyond Newcastle. A ‘multi-club' plan to expand into Europe and potentially beyond has been touted with Newcastle United at the centre.

A multi-club ownership model can be an effective approach to promoting a club’s brand globally, setting up partnerships and sending players out on loan.

This is not dissimilar to Man City’s ownership model which has the City Group with stakes in 11 other clubs across the globe, including four in Europe. But UEFA regulations around club ownership prevent clubs who share owners competing in the same competition such as the Champions League or Europa League.

Which is why Newcastle’s owners would likely opt for a club that would not pose a significant threat when it comes to European qualification. City Group have stakes in Girona (Spain), Lommel (Belgium), Troyes (France) and Palermo (Italy) with only Girona currently playing top flight football.

90min reported that a Belgium club would be the most likely choice, though a lower-division French side is also a possibility.

And as Newcastle looks to build up its academy system and provide a pathway into the first team, having a senior club readily available to give players experience on loan abroad could b a valuable asset.