NEWCASTLE fans are allowed to get excited with prospective new owner Mohammed bin Salman’s funds set to dwarf his Premier League rivals’.
SEday Times has published its Rich List 2020 and it makes for interesting reading where football is concerned.
Top of the pile in the Premier League is Everton’ Alisher Usmanov, with an estimated wealth of £11.7bn.
He of course used to own shares in Arsenal, but sold them off to Stan Kroenke. Although Farhad Moshiri is listed as the Toffees owner, Usmanov “is now trying to pour money”.
But with Bin Salman part of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and worth £320bn, Magpies supporters will be praying the £300m takeover goes through.
The Glazer family at Manchester United, Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City Kroenke at Arsenal and Liverpool owners John Henry and Tom Werner don’t feature as “they are not resident in the UK and the majority of their business assets are based overseas, rather than registered on the London stock exchange”.
Brighton owner Tony Bloom, Wolves supremo Guo Chuanchang, Aston Villa’s Nassef Sawiris, Leicester’s Srivaddhanaprabha family, Gao Jisheng at Southampton, Crystal Palace’s Joshua Harris also didn’t fit the Sunday Times’ criteria.
Roman Abramovich, as he has done since he took over Chelsea in 2003, features at the top end, with an estimated wealth of £10.2bn.
Tottenham have THREE entries, Joe Lewis in third at £4bn, David Pearl at seven with £500m and chairman Daniel Levy in ninth at £329m.
West Ham’s much-criticised duo David Sullivan (£1.1bn) and David Gold (£460m) come in a sixth and eighth respectively.
The Premier League are yet to approve the £300million Toon takeover after they received new documents over piracy accusations.
It has been claimed that the evidence establishes a clear link between the Saudi state and a pirate TV service which streams sporting events illegally.
And SunSport has exclusively revealed how unrest is growing among top-flight clubs about the possible takeover, with at least ten teams believed to have concerns.
