What Next for Newcastle After Takeover Disaster?

For months, the saga that was the Saudi consortium bid to takeover Newcastle felt like it was going to be the dream scenario for fans of the club. Their beloved team were finally going to be pulled from the clutches of Mike Ashley into the hands of the group headed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF, but that is now a pipe dream.

The bid has been pulled, with the group stating that they have withdrawn the takeover proposal with “regret”. Ashley is reportedly trying to personally rebuild the relationship and sell the club, but it does seem that the devilish owner is staying at St. James' Park.

Well, it isn’t good news.

The club had been dreaming big – perhaps way too big – which makes the news of the failed takeover hit even harder. The Magpies were remarkably linked with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe when the takeover began being widely reported. Yes, in hindsight those names completely unrealistic, but the sentiment behind the excitement holds true: Newcastle would have signed more quality players to help boost the club’s reputation and find some success.

When news of the takeover began, fans immediately started dreaming of a future without Mike Ashley and financial turmoil. This was set to be the momentum needed to truly get the ball rolling, a move that was being seen by Newcastle fans as similar to Manchester City’s own takeover where they announced the stunning signing of Robinho from Real Madrid in 2008.

Since that day, City have won four Premier League titles and two FA Cups whilst also establishing themselves as a perennial contender in the UEFA Champions League. This is what Newcastle fans were dreaming of and they genuinely believed it could happen to them.

Newcastle transfer rumours and Newcastle transfer news is going to dominate the summer, but not like fans would have hoped.

Similarly to the fans, Newcastle manager Steve Bruce must be feeling frustrated too. The former Hull City boss had said for months how he wanted the takeover to be completed as swiftly as possible to avoid any distractions.

The silver lining for Bruce is that Newcastle were not dragged into any relegation battle, but, with rumours circling regarding the club’s ownership, the Magpies lost four of their final five matches. At the same time, the Newcastle manager's name was called into question many times.

The club and its players certainly appeared to have their mind elsewhere at times in the run-in, and one can only assume that this was related to the takeover. For Bruce and the club, the news of a failed takeover simply emphasises the feeling of loss; this could have been the season before Newcastle’s great resurrection, and instead feels like wasted time.

No doubt, however, a part of the 59-year-old will be relieved, as he has surely kept his job at St. James' Park for the time being.

Newcastle transfers are likely to be the story of the summer. The expectation was that when the takeover went through, Newcastle transfers would be happening left, right and centre and that the Magpies would sign whoever they could.

However, despite a torrid ending to the season and this demoralising news, the club finished 13th in the Premier League and 10 points clear of relegation. Some players did not perform as they were expected to heading into the campaign, with striker and record signing Joelinton scoring just two league goals after appearing in each of the 38 league games in his debut season.

However, certain players made a name for themselves, which could help attract some new faces for Newcastle transfers. Allan Saint-Maximin proved to be a hit in the North East, with the attacking midfield player utilising his tricky dribbling to terrorise defenders. Both Matty and Sean Longstaff also had memorable moments throughout the campaign, whilst Jamaal Lascelles continued to captain the club well when he wasn't injured.

No doubt though, several new faces are required to help boost the Magpies ahead of the new season, although investment in the squad is highly unlikely given Mike Ashley’s decision to sell the club amidst social and economic turmoil.

As long as the players perform to the level that is expected, the club should survive another season in the Premier League but Newcastle transfers rumours are going to the story of the summer this time around.

By Andrew Gamble