Amanda Staveley and her husband and business partner Mehrdad Ghodoussi are leaving Newcastle United, according to reports.
The financier, who also played an influential part in putting together the deal that saw Manchester City sold to Sheikh Mansour in 2008, has been on the Newcastle United board alongside Ghodoussi since 2021, when the club was taken over by Saudi investors.
It now appears that the pair will leave the club - so what does that mean for them and what might happen next?
VIDEO How Spain's Lamine Yamal Just DESTROYED France
Does this mean the Saudi investors are leaving Newcastle United?
No - just Staveley and Ghodoussi, who we dare say have not been the ones funding the bulk of their work.
Staveley took an initial 10 per cent stake in the club after helping broker the deal that led to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) purchasing an 80 per cent share of their own from Mike Ashley in 2021.
The other 10 per cent was held by the Reuben family - brothers Simon and David Reuben, who between them are one of the wealthiest families in the UK - who also gained that stake as part of that takeover four years ago.
Who is buying Amanda Staveley's shares in Newcastle United?
Nothing has been confirmed as yet, with the club, Staveley, PIF and the Reuben family all staying tight-lipped.
However, the Newcastle Chronicle indicate that PIF will be buying her out.
Staveley's stakeholding in the club was diluted down to 6 per cent back in March, with the Reuben family increasing their stage to 14 per cent in turn. Staveley simultaneously resigned from a number of other companies related to Newcastle, but moved to make clear this was 'purely administrative'.
Unless there is any further change in the offing, that would make PIF 86 per cent owners with the Reubens owning the rest of the club.
Why is Amanda Staveley leaving Newcastle?
Again, that's unclear, but there is one potential explanation to be found in the Telegraph's reporting.
They write: [Staveley] has faced difficulties away from the club, having lost a bid to throw out a bankruptcy claim brought in March against her by Greek shipping tycoon Victor Restis.
"Restis has been demanding £36 million from Staveley, accusing her of being personally liable for £3.4 million of the original loan, plus £2.1 million in legal costs and £31.3 million in interest. Staveley, who owns a small stake in Newcastle United, said she intends to appeal the latest decision."
What does this mean for Newcastle United?
Probably, not a huge lot. Although Staveley has been a director for the past three years, she has held a minority stake in the company throughout and has played less and less of a hands-on part since Darren Eales was announced as chief exec in July 2022.
The sporting side of the business is meanwhile overseen by the club's sporting director. Paul Mitchell was recently appointed to that role as the replacement to the departing Dan Ashworth, who has joined Manchester United.
With that backroom team and PIF's investment still ongoing, Newcastle are likely to see it as being largely business as usual following Staveley's departure.
Get a free live stream to watch Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world and catch the final stages of the summer's big tournament
More Newcastle United stories
The real reason Newcastle United sold Mikel Merino
Liverpool identify trio of attacking options following Anthony Gordon update: report
Why football's PSR rulemakers should have listened to Karl Pilkington
‘He doesn’t get the respect his talent deserves, he’s got everything you’d look for in a striker – if I could pick anyone for Chelsea to sign, I’d pick him’: Glen Johnson names the star that he’d love the Blues to recruit in January
"Winning the Champions League was like Denmark in 1992 – nobody put a lot of money on us, but when it's only one game, anything can happen': Former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool forward on his European heroics
