Fresh takeover talks emerge - ex-Newcastle United co-owner attends Premier League game
Mehrdad Ghodoussi was spotted repping a Newcastle United cap during Chelsea’s shock 2-1 defeat to Fulham.
A popular figure on Tyneside, the former Toon co-owner and his wife, Amanda Staveley, were the public face of the Saudi-backed takeover. But as investment from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Reuben brothers increased, the couple were forced to sell their remaining shares earlier this year.
Staveley and Ghodoussi penned emotional farewells to Newcastle fans after building a relationship over a seven-year period. Ripon-born businesswoman Staveley first “fell in love” with the Magpies during a home game against Liverpool in October 2017.
An initial failed bid was resurrected when she managed to get PIF involved. However, an 18-month legal wrangle saw the deal blocked by the Premier League before its completion three years ago.
Ghodoussi and Staveley embedded their ties with the city during their reign as co-owners until a heartwrenching exit in July. Recent reports have suggested the pair could broker a deal to buy Tottenham Hotspur.
Staveley refused to downplay a return to football when speaking a fortnight ago. She told Bloomberg: "First of all, I think all we can do is thank the amazing Newcastle community and the founders for all the support that we had and continue to get.
"It's so hard to move on from a club that's amazing. We could never move on from Newcastle and we never will. But yes, we're looking at a number of investment operations.
"We can't say too much at the moment because of, you know, the rules around it. But we will be able to talk about it, hopefully in the not-too-distant future."
Ghodoussi has now been snapped at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham. But true to his Newcastle persuasion, the 52-year-old donned a United cap behind enemy lines as the Blues suffered a shock Premier League loss.