NUFC owners now in talks to buy Brazilian club as Amanda Staveley’s prediction nears fulfillment

Newcastle United are in talks to add Brazilian club Santa Cruz to a multi-club ownership model, as revealed on the Brazilian programme, Leo Medrado.

Former Magpies co-owner, Amanda Staveley, revealed back in March at the Bloomberg Power Players Summit that the club would be interested in developing a multi-club ownership model, and they are now nearing the acquisition of their first club.

Ricardo Rocha Filho – the son of Santa Cruz legend, Ricardo Rocha – revealed that his father is involved in negotiations as the club look for new owners and investors.

Santa Cruz used to compete in the Serie D, the fourth tier of Brazilian football, and currently competes in the Campeonato Pernambucano, the top flight of the Pernambuco state football league.

Newcastle were acquired by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia in 2021 and have enjoyed some degree of funding since then.

PIF governor and Magpies chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced in October that international spending will be cut, with the investment percentage decreasing from 30% to 20%.

Saudi will now focus on their domestic economy, with the proportion of their foreign investment set to go down, but Newcastle will not be affected, as the investment plans for established portfolio companies like the St. James Park club remain the same.

While things have slowed down in recent months as far as investing in Newcastle goes, a multi-club ownership model remains in the plans of the owner.

Doubts continues to emerge at the speed of the PIF project at Newcastle, with investment in the squad as well as progress on a new stadium and training ground slowing evidently in recent months.

It remains to be seen whether the Saudis have plans to make any significant improvements to the fortunes of the SJP club, but plans are in place to complete another takeover in their bid to emulate the City Football Group.