Former Sunderland and England striker Darren Bent believes that “everything is in place” for Newcastle United to be competing near the top of the Premier League table once more and sympathises towards the fans.
The Magpies are currently overseeing a takeover of the club which will see the end of Mike Ashley’s reign of terror on Tyneside. The Times previously reported that a £300m offer has been accepted to take control of the club, through a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and backed by Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers.
Ashley, who also owns retail giants Sports Direct, took full control of the club back in 2007 and consistently let down the St James’ Park faithful during his ownership, including renaming our stadium to the Sports Direct Arena.
The supporters are desperate to see a change, and Bent told Football Insider that he feels for them but the club will hugely benefit from this going forward.
Under new ownership, will we win the Premier League in the next 10 years?
Yes
No
“I feel sorry for the fans because this has been bubbling on for a while”, he said. They finally think they’ve got it over the line and it seems to be stalling at the wrong time.
“I think it would be absolutely superb for English football if we have another mega-money powerhouse coming to the league. At the moment you’ve got Chelsea, Manchester City, you’ve got Manchester United who can spend big, you’ve got Liverpool.
Bent added that the stadium and the club’s infrastructure, combined with PIF’s wealth means that everything is set up for us to become a dominant force in English football.
It is frustrating that we are having to wait for the official confirmation that is long overdue. With the football currently suspended, this could be a contributing factor towards that.
On the flip side, this will be a huge boost and a giant step in the right direction for us. As the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait.