While Newcastle United have failed to sign anyone so far, Manchester City have just spent £100million on Jack Grealish.
The midfielder became the most expensive player in Premier League history on Thursday night when his move to the Etihad was confirmed.
It’s a huge deal – the sixth biggest in football history.
Grealish has agreed a six-year deal, and will wear the number 10 shirt vacated by Sergio Aguero.
The Premier League champions have gotten even stronger, and they might not be finished this summer.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been heavily linked with a move for Tottenham’s Harry Kane. Meanwhile, rumours of Lionel Messi arriving won’t be far away following his Barcelona release.
But while Manchester City splash the cash, Newcastle are still yet to make a first-team signing.
They haven’t spent a penny this summer, but things could have been very different.
£300million Newcastle takeover denied, but Manchester City can sign Jack Grealish for £100million
Last year, Mike Ashley agreed to sell Newcastle United for £300million. Backed by the riches of PIF, Amanda Staveley seemed all but set to take the club over. All the consortium needed was approval from the Premier League.
Sadly, that approval didn’t come. However, they weren’t rejected either. Instead, the Premier League left one of their clubs in limbo for 17 weeks.
The takeover saga dragged on all summer, and is incredibly still going on more than a year later.
Ashley has launched two legal battles against the Premier League, as he looks to resurrect the deal.
It felt like there could be a resolution this summer, with arbitration taking place. However, that has now been delayed until early next year. Meanwhile, jurisdiction over the CAT case won’t take place until September.
Newcastle United fans have been pining for Ashley to sell the club for years. But the one time he finally he agrees a deal, he is denied by the Premier League.
This deal could have taken the Magpies to the top. It would have completely changed the landscape of the club and the region.
But the Premier League didn’t allow it to pass, creating fury among the Toon Army. There have been calls for government intervention and a protest in the capital. But still there is no conclusion.
The Newcastle United takeover saga goes on and on. The Magpies now have an absent owner who thought he had his ticket out of St James’ Park.
Meanwhile, another Premier League club is spending £100million on one player – a third of the price PCP Capital Partners were going to pay for an entire football club. How on earth is that fair?
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