Amanda Staveley opens door to Saudi deal and makes Champions League prediction

Amanda Staveley believes it would be a "fantastic opportunity" for Newcastle United to own a stake in a Saudi Pro League club.

After confirming that she's a "very big fan" of the multi-club model that Manchester City have adopted so successfully, she opened the door to Newcastle investing in a Saudi side.

Speaking at Bloomberg's Powe Players summit in Jeddah on Thursday, she described the growth of the Saudi Pro League as "really exciting" and an area the club would like to target, predicting an SPL club will soon be competing in the UEFA Champions League.

Asked if she could see Newcastle investing in a Saudi club, she said: "It would be a lovely idea. It would be a fantastic opportunity to take a stake in a Saudi club.

"I love the league and I've seen it develop. It's really exciting to see the competition really growing over here.

"I am quite sure there will be a Saudi club in the Champions League before long. Knowing Saudi, I don't think it will take too long!"

Prior to that, Staveley confirmed our interest in a multi-club model, but admitted the dynamics have changed in recent times following a change in UEFA rules:

"I'm a very big fan of the multi-club model. We have looked at every market.

"UEFA rules are changing, so we have to see what emerges. The dynamics around whether we could have another club have changed dramatically over the past year, but a lot of competitors and friends in the Premier League have multi-club relationships, but it has to be considered as a whole."