Newcastle co-owners 'to leave' three years after takeover

Newcastle United co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi are to sell their shares in the club and leave St James' Park, a report has revealed.

Staveley played a crucial role in the Saudi Public Investment Fund's takeover in 2021, four years after she fronted her own bid to buy Newcastle from former owner Mike Ashley.

She took a 10% share in Newcastle as part of her role in the takeover, although that stake reduced to 6% earlier this year, and The Athletic have now revealed that Staveley is set to leave alongside business partner and husband Ghodoussi.

During their time at Newcastle, Staveley and Ghodoussi played a public role in the Magpies' business. The duo were prominent figures in the Amazon docu-series We Are Newcastle United and are believed to have helped seal a number of high-profile transfers, including the arrivals of Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier.

However, following the arrivals of Darren Eales as chief executive and Paul Mitchell as sporting director, all parties have decided that it is time for Staveley and Ghodoussi to depart.

Alongside her impact on the men's team, Staveley also played a pivotal role in the development of the women's setup.

Newcastle United Women were formally brought into the club sphere in 2022 and have since been promoted to the Women’s Championship, having turned professional last season, with Staveley known to have worked hard to help the team grow.

Following her eventual departure from Newcastle, Staveley is expected to continue her work with PIF and remain in football.