Newcastle legend Alan Shearer discusses the club takeover
Newcastle may be oil-rich with cash after their £305million takeover was completed on Thursday, but the consortium will have a few lessons they must learn from Manchester City. It was back in 2008 when City stunned the world of football with Sheikh Mansour completing a mega-money takeover bid.
There was a clear desire from the new owners to spend big on a superstar in an attempt to hype up interest in the club. But splashing out money on players with no direction for the playing squad held City back in their development.
Patience - Jerome Boateng, Daniel Sturridge
Spending money wasn't a problem for the new owners clearly with close to £450m spent in their first three years at the club.
And they clearly weren't too fussed on making that money back in player sales either.
There were a number of players who were made surplus to requirements at the Etihad early on, namely Daniel Sturridge and Jerome Boateng.
Both were sold for a combined £18m, but their impact at future clubs would go on to make them worth considerably more.
Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Robinho's move to Manchester City proved a disaster (Image: GETTY)
Boateng established himself as one of the most dominant centre-backs in world football at Bayern Munich while Sturridge eventually went on to prove his goalscoring talents at Liverpool.
Trusting players to come good at City was not something the owners were willing to take a chance on in the early stages of their tenure.
Spending because they can
This kind of ties in with both points above but City have had the means to spend big on what they want for over a decade now.
They've been more frugal with their money in recent years under Pep Guardiola though with the Spaniard having a clear sign of what he wants in the transfer market.
Newcastle fans celebrating the club's takeover (Image: GETTY)
The likes of Ruben Dias, Ferran Torres, Joao Cancelo and Rodri have all joined in recent years with all four playing a crucial part in their success.
But the same can't be said for those signed in the early years. Of the £450m spent in the first three years of their tenure, it's hard to argue how much was actually worth it.
The likes of Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz failed to make an impact during their short time with the club before being sold on for a loss.
While Newcastle may well now have the means to match City's spending power, at the start of their new journey they may need to be more tactical in their approach to the transfer market.