Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley at the Global Investment Summit at Hampton Court Palace.(Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images)Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley at the Global Investment Summit at Hampton Court Palace.(Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley at the Global Investment Summit at Hampton Court Palace.(Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Amanda Staveley admitted she still misses Newcastle United when teasing a swift return to football - and the Premier League.
Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi bid an emotional farewell to the Magpies in July after their remaining shares were acquired by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and RB Sports & Media at an 85%/15% split.
Not only did Staveley broker the £305m PIF-led takeover in October 2021, but the Ripon-born financer also took control of the day-to-day running of the football club and oversaw a huge transformation as United - under Eddie Howe - went from battling relegation to qualifying for the Champions League in just under two years.
Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad GhodoussiAmanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi
Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi | Getty Images
Staveley departed just shy of celebrating her three-year anniversary and in the months since leaving has been linked with investing in Tottenham Hotspur amid reported. However, when asked about his next move, Staveley remained sheepishly tight-lipped.
“We’re actively, you know, we’re looking at a serious investment and we’ve been working very hard,” said Staveley, who spoke at the Bloomberg’s Women, Money and Power event in London earlier this week. “We miss football, we miss Newcastle a huge amount and we’re in the middle of doing quite a lot of work around that.
“I can’t say too much but what I can say is I’m a football mad. We’ve got some of the best football [clubs] in the Premier League, we’re very lucky to have such great clubs.
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“We also shouldn’t be complacent about our league position because at the moment we attract huge broadcast rights and we must ensure we continue to look at attracting the next generation of fans.
“Whatever club we go to, what we’re trying to do is find a club where we can really give the investment that club needs, and we want to be able to invest in the community and the women’s team.”
Prior to taking Newcastle off Mike Ashley’s hands, Staveley played a key role in the Abu Dhabi-led takeover of Manchester City in 2008 before being part of several bids to buy Liverpool.
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