You may not have heard of Amanda Staveley. But she is one of the most influential women in football, and is completing the acquisition of Newcastle united with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
A £300m agreement for Newcastle United FC has been reached this week. That should end Mike Ashley’s 13-year control of the club.
According to the Financial Times newspaper, Amanda and her husband were aboard the yacht for a party, along with Yasir al-Rumayyan, head of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and global business chiefs Masayoshi Son (Softbank) and Mukesh Ambani (Reliance).
Staveley also helped orchestrate the 2008 takeover of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
“Amanda seems to be trusted at a very senior level in the Middle East,”said Rob Noel, former chief executive of the property company Land Securities.
Staveley is 47 years old and is a former model who is battling a crippling brain disease that can lead to dementia. She was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in 2013, for which there is no cure.
Before she made her foray into the football world, Amanda was courted by Prince Andrew.
However, after dating the Royal for 2 years, the former blonde model, who stands 6ft tall in heels, turned down his proposal because she didn’t want to become a Royal and live under such scrutiny.
Prince Mohd Bin Salman has a net worth of at least £7 billion. Definitely serious money can be pumped into Newcastle.
Staveley would be the face of the board when the takeover is complete, with PiF governor Al-Rumayyan ready to take up the role of chairman.
The aim of the buyout is to make Newcastle a force in the Premier League once again, which might take a few years to achieve.