Newcastle United 'looking to follow Manchester City example and create multi-club model'

Newcastle United reportedly want to follow the example of Premier League leaders Manchester City and create a multi-club model. According to The i, the Public Investment Fund, who led the consortium which took control of the club from Mike Ashley, are keen to establish a global presence in football and other sports.

Although there are several examples of multi-club models in the modern game, City Football Group is one of the most well-known in England due to their association with Manchester City. Their subsidiaries include Melbourne City of Australia, American giants New York City and Belgian outfit Lommel S.K.

The Red Bull network is another high-profile example but the likes of Newcastle's Premier League counterparts Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford have sister clubs. Benefits of the multi-club model include data sharing and the ability to move players across markets, and Southampton are also said to be 'actively exploring the market' with a view to buying stakes in other clubs.

The establishing of this model would represent another major move made by the new regime at St James' Park, who have already made a change in the dugout with the appointment of Eddie Howe. Their desire to rejuvenate the Magpies was made evident in the January transfer window, when they gave the squad a facelift by recruiting Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood.

The investment has already began to pay dividends as the Magpies have been able to steer away from the bottom three, which has been crucial considering relegation would be a dent in the regime's plans to get Newcastle competing for major trophies.

Jeremy Steele, CEO of FC Analytics, advises clubs on takeovers and told The i: "The