Amanda Staveley closer to buying Newcastle after signing non-disclosure agreement with club
The 44-year-old Yorkshirewoman's purchase of the Toon edges closer as she undergoes due diligence ahead of potential £300m takeover
AMANDA STAVELEY has moved a step closer to buying Newcastle after signing a non-disclosure agreement with the club.
The Yorkshirewoman’s PCP Capital Partners company are the frontrunners to take over from current owner Mike Ashley, who officially put the Toon up for sale on Monday.
And Staveley, 44, is now doing due diligence before she makes a bid, which would likely be in the region of £300million – £100m less than Ashley’s asking price.
Staveley is one of a number of investors who have shown interest in taking over the Toon and is not the first to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
But she appears to be the most serious at this stage, having attended Newcastle’s last two home matches and held a series of talks with representatives from the club.
In a statement yesterday, lawyer Andrew Henderson, who is brokering the deal for Ashley, said: "Since Monday, a number of additional parties have come forward which we believe to be credible.
"We are also continuing to engage with a number of parties with who we had entered into negotiations, prior to Monday's announcement."
According to this year's Sunday Times Rich List, Staveley is worth £110m and is the 126th wealthiest woman in Britain.
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But while would be the face of this takeover, she would be backed by the funds of her financial firm PCP, which acts for investors in the Middle East and China.
Staveley has made no secret of her desire to own a Premier League club and is also interested in others, including Liverpool – but Newcastle is the most realistic purchase.
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Ashley wants to sell the Toon by Christmas so he does not have to free up funds for manager Rafa Benitez for the January transfer window.
And while Staveley will not make a formal offer until she has had a close look at the club’s books, that timeframe is possible.
Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez has warned his Newcastle players not be distracted by events off the pitch and concentrate on gaining the win against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
He said: "I try to concentrate on football and I think that is the best way.
“People can talk about all of these things that are happening but for us every training session is similar.
“When we approach each game we are thinking about football. We don’t have any influence from the outside. The problem is you can’t control what is going on outside.”
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