Newcastle Toons
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The team Newcastle United could resemble under new owners

By Durim Halimi

VALENCIA, SPAIN - MARCH 10: (FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE) In this handout image provided by UEFA, Atalanta pose for a team photo during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Valencia CF and Atalanta at Estadio Mestalla on March 10, 2020 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by UEFA - Handout via Getty Images)
VALENCIA, SPAIN - MARCH 10: (FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE) In this handout image provided by UEFA, Atalanta pose for a team photo during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Valencia CF and Atalanta at Estadio Mestalla on March 10, 2020 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by UEFA - Handout via Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United will have the wealthiest owners on the planet, but they will not become the next Manchester City any time soon.

Now that the Premier League has finalized its plans for Project Restart, the Toon Army are hopeful that league officials will turn their attention to Newcastle United. The takeover of the club has been in pending status since the second week of April and fans, along with Mike Ashley and the buying party, are anxiously waiting for the deal to be approved.

Several popular sports blogs and social media accounts are having fun with this takeover as they photoshop every notable player in the Magpies’ kit. Football fans around the world that read headlines, but not details, are convinced that Newcastle United will become the next Manchester City as soon as the keys to St. James’ Park are handed over to the new owners.

That would be nice, but that will not happen for two reasons. Firstly, Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations do not let clubs spend more than they earn over a three-year period. As a result, Newcastle United must be innovative and find new avenues of income in order to pursue some of Europe’s top players.

Secondly, a recent update from Sky Sports regarding the takeover claimed that Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers have a transformation plan in place, but it will be a gradual process. Therefore, fans should not expect Newcastle United to chase the Premier League title right away, but it would be fair to expect the Magpies to knock on the door of the top six.

So, if Newcastle United should not be compared to Manchester City once the takeover is complete, what team might they resemble? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but my expectation is that Newcastle United will try to emulate the success of Serie A outfit Atalanta.

Why Atalanta?

Atalanta are an interesting club as their resurgence in Italian football has taken everyone by surprise. Between 2011 and 2015, Atalanta regularly found themselves in a relegation battle and they had an average table finish of 14th. In fact, Atalanta avoided the drop to Serie B by a mere three points at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.

Up until 2016, the narrative surrounding Atalanta was essentially the same as that of Newcastle United. Out of nowhere, Atalanta became the pride of Bergamo and took the Serie A by storm when they finished fourth, seventh, and third in the Serie A over the last three seasons.

This season, Atalanta currently occupy fourth place and are on track for another rodeo in the Champions League. This is the type of success Newcastle United should try to follow.

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Winning the Premier League title is the ultimate objective under new ownership, but that is a long-term goal. For now, the Magpies will be focused on modifying their style of play, recruiting talented players at every position, developing consistency as a top ten side, and fighting for a place in Europe.