Newcastle United are looking to grow their empire.
Indeed, the idea of a multi-club model was something Amanda Staveley confirmed Newcastle had looked into last month as PIF continue with their plans to expand.
That strategy is something Manchester City have used and given their backing also comes from a Middle Eastern background looking to compete across a number of fronts, it’s logical Newcastle would do the same.
Now, it seems as if the club are ramping up such plans.
Newcastle hold talks with Belgian side
According to Mark Douglas of iNews, the club have held exploratory talks with a Belgian side about the idea of them joining forces with Newcastle as they ramp up the pace on such plans.
The report names Oostende, valued at around £8m, as a club Newcastle staff have seen up-close, though nothing is yet set in stone with teams in Portugal and the Netherlands also considered.
The Magpies are thought to want to add another club to their model in an effort to house some of the best young talents in the world in the post-Brexit era.
Were they to own a foreign team, they could feasibly bring young players into that club before moving them onto Newcastle when they would be able to apply for a work permit in England.
Indeed, the report also suggests that a multi-club model is seen as essential to Premier League teams with huge ambitions.
Could this help with FFP?
That would certainly appear to be the case.
Eddie Howe has frequently spoken of the looming threat of FFP but it seems as if bringing another club into the fold could help improve the situation.
According to the National Law Review: “Operating under an MCO [multi-club ownership] allows clubs to benefit from sponsorships and other commercial deals negotiated at the group level, while also increasing individual brand awareness for each respective club.”
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