Newcastle United Takeover Specials Odds - 8/05/20

Newcastle fans rejoice, the Mike Ashley era appears to finally be over.

The club's £300m takeover looks inevitable and bookmakers have already started to get the fans excited, pricing up several markets as a Saudi Arabian backed consortium goes through the final checks before taking over.

The deal would mark the end of Ashley’s controversial 13-year reign as Newcastle owner whilst also making the Tyneside club one of the richest in the world. The potential new owners are being backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) who will provide the majority of the funds. The PIF have more than £260 billion in assets and as such, Newcastle will be competing financially with the likes of PSG and Real Madrid.

Being compared to Europe’s giants has understandably got Newcastle fans struggling to contain their excitement, dreaming of big signings and winning titles. Here, we will look at all the betting markets being offered around the takeover, seeing how the bookmakers rate Newcastle’s chances of matching these big teams on the pitch and not just financially.

With the transfer window approaching, Newcastle’s new owners could look to start their reign by hitting the headlines with some big-money signings. Paddy Power are currently offering odds of 5/2 for the club to spend £100m or more on a new player within the next two transfer windows.

Whilst transfer fees have increased significantly over the past decade, £100m is still an astronomical amount to spend on a given player. This is especially true for a club like Newcastle, who are yet to venture past the £45m mark, paying around £40m for record signing, Joelinton. That frugal spell could be set to end with their new owners though, who will surely want to make a statement of intent with their early business.

Many names have been thrown around but regardless of the money, Newcastle won’t be bringing in the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane just yet. There are some realistic short term options, such as John Mcginn and Alfredo Morelos, however.

These players aren’t going to be hitting the £100m mark and the club will need to look at stars needing a move away, such as Philippe Coutinho and Gareth Bale to get close to this figure.

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Most Newcastle fans won’t be able to remember their club’s last major trophy. The 1968/69 instalment of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, something of a precursor to the UEFA Cup, was the last major trophy the Magpies got their hands on. Sure, the club may have won the Championship twice in recent times, but this is merely seen as a stepping stone to return to the big time.

The arrival of wealthy owners will bring hope that a long wait for a major trophy may finally end fairly soon. The Premier league seems unlikely for now, of course. A revamp of the squad including some big signings will be needed to get them there, just like Manchester City have done the past decade.

The FA Cup and EFL Cup don’t look too far away, however, and with the financial backing, Newcastle could be in with a chance of snatching one of the trophies. They had already reached the quarter finals in this year’s FA Cup, and maybe with some new players, they could go a couple of steps further in the next two years.

This one certainly looks the most likely and at odds of 10/3, it's a good price.

As we have seen with the likes of Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United, you don’t have to be one of the traditional 'Big Six' to challenge for European places. Newcastle fans may have been thinking for some time that they too should be up there, and with their latest potential windfall, they could well be.

The Magpies already have some exciting players such as Allan Saint-Maximin on the wing as well Sean and Matty Longstaff in midfield. Some fresh faces to accompany them will certainly push them closer to the European spots and it will be the big step towards achieving the gargantuan status they once had.

With the financial backing, there is no reason that Newcastle can’t emulate what Wolves have done for the past two seasons. After all, they have managed to splash the cash more than most, forcing them further up the table, where they have stayed there ever since.

A top-six finish might be a struggle at first, but don't rule it out straight away at a price of 10/3.

Winning the Premier League is the ultimate prize and in the 28 years of existence, the trophy has only been lifted by six teams. Clubs like City and Chelsea have shown down the years that a blank cheque wins you titles, as both clubs have entirely revamped squads for years through nothing but cash.

City might be a competitor on the pitch, but their blueprint will no doubt be an inspiration to Newcastle and their new owners. Prior to the Citizens' 2008 takeover, City couldn't even challenge for the Europa League. Eventually, after four years and millions spent, the club won their first league title and many more domestic trophies have since followed.

Catching up with City and Liverpool in the short term is unlikely, but there’s no reason that a club as big as Newcastle can’t reach the levels of the current champions over the next five seasons. To do so, odds are 15/2.

The FA Cup and EFL Cup both offer a great chance for a host of clubs across England to get their hands on some silverware. With a draw based, system both competitions could pit any two teams together, sometimes allowing for an easy route to the final.

Recent finalists of the EFL Cup and FA Cup include the likes of Aston Villa, Watford, Crystal Palace and Southampton. And, a fair argument is to state that Newcastle are regarded as a bigger side than these clubs, and with the cash flow, they could soon reach these heights once more.

Winning one of the two trophies as soon as next season is a big ask, but with their new investors, the upcoming transfer window could change everything. Through the right signings, Newcastle could have a big chance and see their odds slashed.

Without the right men coming in, going all the way is a big ask with their current squad. With this considered, odds are a high 12/1.

Until the takeover has gone through and the summer transfer window has passed, it’s impossible to assess Newcastle’s chances as top four contenders. With that being said, they are currently lightyears away from the top four and without some big signings, that looks unlikely to change. 

With Liverpool and City’s recent dominance, those two are all but guaranteed top four spots, leaving just two up for grabs. Now, those two could be taken by anybody. Many wouldn’t have expected Leicester to do as well as they have done this year and they find themselves in a great position to finish within the top four, so the places aren’t completely out of reach.

Any chance of Newcastle emulating Leicester’s success does really depend on the summer transfer window, with Wolves a recent example of how spending gets you competing. 

If the Magpies' newfound riches can attract some of football’s biggest names, then, perhaps they can be counted as top four contenders. Bringing in the biggest names seems unlikely at this point though; Newcastle should focus on walking before they can run.

Finishing in the Champions League places within one year looks a step too far and odds are rightfully so a high 12/1.

By Jak Richardson