Newcastle will have to build up slowly, despite massive takeover

Newcastle might be on the verge of a massive takeover, but it will still take them years of patience to become one of the big-shots in the Premier League.

News of Newcastle United’s massive takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has spread like wildfire across the footballing world over the past week or two. Almost immediately, we were swarmed by hilarious photoshops of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Braut Haaland, and Lionel Messi wearing Newcastle kits, signifying their potential new injection of cash.

This takeover is similar to what Manchester City underwent in the late 2000s, when they went from a Premier League minnow to a title contender in the span of just a few years.

Newcastle fans can certainly be excited, although the takeover is still subject to approval by the Premier League’s current owners and directors. Clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United, who have struggled for many years now, will certainly be looking over their shoulders with a feeling of uneasiness.

However, Newcastle won’t make the jump to the top of the table right away, or anytime soon either. First, they would have to spend their money wisely and prudently for a few years, while also overachieving on the pitch.

The very best players in world football are absolutely not going to be convinced of the project right off the bat, and Newcastle won’t be able to offer players astronomical wages without European football either. This means they must first find a way to qualify for the Europa League for a year or two in a row before they start spending hundreds of millions every summer like the top clubs in the Premier League do.

Financial Fair Play simply would not allow them to jump into the market with massive wages and transfer fees right off the bat.

Manchester City’s first transfer window under their new ownership back in 2008 saw them spend their money somewhat carelessly, with their signings of Jo and Robinho being the worst of the lot, and also the most expensive. 2 of Manchester City’s cheapest signings that summer were Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta, and both of them eventually became club legends, while the more expensive signings faded away instantly.

This should be a prime example of what not to do and what exactly to do if you’re Newcastle. If an expensive player is willing to come to your club for tons of money right away, they probably don’t have success on the pitch as their #1 priority. Instead, they’ll be after a paycheque.

The Magpies should instead be looking towards younger players with potential that they can sign for modest fees. These are the players that can get them up to par with the likes of Everton and Sheffield United right away, to compete for European football.

Newcastle won’t be able to spend monumental cash immediately, but if they show patience and cunning intent in the transfer market, they would certainly be on the right path.