Newcastle are unlikely to spend any money in the January transfer window, according to former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow.
Purslow was part of the Reds board who sacked Rafa Benitez in 2010, but was also instrumental in the club’s sale by forcing through a takeover by Fenway Sports Group despite opposition from the then owners of the club: the American business partners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
Speaking on Sky Sports (quotes via the Chronicle) about whether Mike Ashley would free up transfer funds with the sale of the club in progress, Purslow doubted it would be in the Magpies’ owners thinking if, as he predicts, the takeover stretches on well into next year:
“I’m afraid Newcastle fans won’t like what I’m going to say about that. If I’m right and it takes longer and we stretch into the New Year while the club is still up for sale and maybe in advanced negotiations on a sale, it’s pretty unlikely that the owner of any business is going to spend significant sums of money during a sale process. That would probably mean January would be quiet for business for Newcastle. Then hopefully a sale happens and the summer is one where investment happens.”
Purslow explains that a takeover of a well run business can take six months but a football club, which is a far more complicated affair, will inevitably take much longer to finalise. It means the likelihood of Benitez having any funds to sign new players in January looks pretty slim at the moment.
