Talk of a potential Newcastle takeover has again got long-suffering fans to think about what life might be like after Mike Ashley.
The Premier League is the wealthiest in the world, and according to Forbes, England’s top-flight generates 72 per cent more revenue than the Bundesliga, its nearest rival.
Ashley is believed to be worth a little over £2 billion, making him the 11th wealthiest owner in the Premier League, but where would the club’s prospective new owners rank?
The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is believed to be the majority backer in this consortium. They currently have $320 billion worth of assets under their management, with plans to expand further.
The Fund’s chairman, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is estimated to be personally worth £2.4 billion according to a report from 2018.
The rest of the project will be funded by Amanda Stavely and the Reuben brothers, David and Simon.
Last year, the Sunday Times estimated the Reuben brothers wealth to be in the region of £16.6 billion. Meanwhile, a report in 2017 claimed that Staveley has a personal worth of £114 million.
The businesswoman has been the face of the consortium from the moment they engaged in discussions with Ashley. Sources close to the group suggest any takeover of Newcastle would be followed by a financially sustainable approach at St James’ Park.
There is also an understandable level of caution surrounding the deal. Some believe Staveley is once again talking things up, while Ashley is doing the opposite and playing it down.
That said, the combined wealth of Newcastle’s potential owners would put them near the top of the Premier League’s big-hitters.
Manchester City owner, Sheikh Mansour, leads the way with a net worth of £23.3 billion.
He is an Emirati royal and deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates. He bought City in 2008, with the help of PCP Capital Partners and Staveley.
Just behind him is Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. He bought Chelsea in 2003 and has since overseen a massive investment into the club. He is believed to be worth in the region of £9.6 billion.
Rounding out the top three is Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke. The 72-year-old has drawn heavy criticism from Gunners fans for his lack of investment in the club. The issue is emphasised by his reported £6.8 billion net worth.
At the other end of the Premier League scale is Norwich City. The Canaries are jointly-owned by husband and wife team Delia Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones.
Smith, the famous cook and television presenter, joined the club’s board in 1996 alongside her husband, who made his name in publishing. The pair are believed to be worth in the region of £23 million.
The full list of Premier League big-hitters
Sheikh Mansour, Man City, £23.3bn.
Roman Abramovich, Chelsea, £9.6bn.
Stan Kroenke, Arsenal, £6.8billion
Guo Guangchang, Wolves, £5.2bn.
Nassef Sawiris, Aston Villa, £5bn.
Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester, £4.6bn.
Joe Lewis, Tottenham, £3.9bn.
The Glazer family, Manchester United, £3.6bn.
Gao Jisheng, Southampton, £3.1bn.
Joshua Harris, Crystal Palace, £2.7bn.
Mike Ashley, Newcastle United, £2.3bn.
John Henry, Liverpool, £2.1bn.
Farhad Moshiri, Everton, £1.5bn.
Tony Bloom, Brighton, £1.3bn.
David Sullivan and David Gold, West Ham United, £1.2bn.
Maxim Demin, Bournemouth, £900m.
Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ed, Sheffield United, £198m.
Gion Pozzo, Watford, £93m.
Mike Garlick, Burnley, £62m.
Delia Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones, Norwich City, £23m.
