The first and biggest signings after a Premier League takeover

With Newcastle on the brink of that sweet takeover relief, it is surely time to consider how other top-flight clubs have reacted to a change in ownership.

Save for a late Mike Ashley U-turn, PCP Capital Partners will complete their takeover of Newcastle in due course: the 20th since and including Chelsea’s buyout in 2003.

But what have other Premier League clubs done in the transfer market immediately after changing ownership? Do they make a new record signing? Or bring Joey Barton in on a free?

A reminder, were it needed, that this is what Newcastle will supposedly do:

Football365

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The Sun: Newcastle are spending £300m on this lot!

Also The Sun: Newcastle are spending £300m on every position but defence and still playing Javier Manquillo at right-back.

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7:20 AM - Apr 15, 2020

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Chelsea – taken over by Roman Abramovich in July 2003

First signing: Glen Johnson (£6m, West Ham)
Biggest signing: Damien Duff (£17m, Blackburn)
Amount of signings: 11
Overall spend: £111.25m

Bolton – taken over by Eddie Davies in December 2003

First signing: Donovan Ricketts (loan, Village United)
Biggest signing: Steve Howey (free, Leicester)
Amount of signings: 4
Overall spend: £0

Summer 2004: Overall spend of £750,000 on six players, with Gary Speed (Newcastle) the only one bought for a fee.

Manchester United – taken over by Malcolm Glazer in May 2005

First signing: Edwin van der Sar (£1.5m, Fulham)
Biggest signing: Park Ji-sung (£4m, PSV)
Amount of signings: 3
Overall spend: £6.5m

Portsmouth – taken over by Alexandre Gaydamak in July 2006

First signing: David Thompson (free, Wigan)
Biggest signing: Niko Kranjcar (£3.5m, Hajduk Split)
Amount of signings: 6
Overall spend: £5.2m

Aston Villa – taken over by Randy Lerner in August 2006

First signing: Stiliyan Petrov (£6.5m, Celtic)
Biggest signing: Stiliyan Petrov (£6.5m, Celtic)
Amount of signings: 2
Overall spend: £6.5m

January 2007: Overall spend of £10.65m on three players, with Ashley Young (£9.65m, Watford) the most expensive

West Ham – taken over by Eggert Magnusson in November 2006

First signing: Luis Boa Morte (£5m, Fulham)
Biggest signing: Matthew Upson (£6m, Birmingham)
Amount of signings: 5
Overall spend: £17m

Summer 2007: Overall spend of £29.57m on seven players, with Craig Bellamy (£7.5m, Liverpool) the most expensive

Liverpool – taken over by George Gillett and Tom Hicks in February 2007

First signing: Gerardo Bruna (free, Real Madrid)
Biggest signing: Fernando Torres (£26.5m, Atletico Madrid)
Amount of signings: 10
Overall spend: £49m

Manchester City – taken over by Thaksin Shinawatra in July 2007

First signing: Rolando Bianchi (£8.8m, Reggina)
Biggest signing: Rolando Bianchi (£8.8m, Reggina)
Amount of signings: 7
Overall spend: £38.2m

Newcastle – taken over by Mike Ashley in July 2007

First signing: Alan Smith (£6m, Manchester United)
Biggest signing: Jose Enrique (£6.5m, Villarreal)
Amount of signings: 5
Overall spend: £16.5m

Derby – taken over by Andrew Appleby in January 2008

First signing: Alan Stubbs (free, Everton)
Biggest signing: Mile Sterjovski (£300,000, Gencerbiligi)
Amount of signings: 3
Overall spend: £300,000

Summer 2008: Overall spend of £2.5m on eight players, with Rob Hulse (£1.75m, Sheffield United) the most expensive

Manchester City – taken over by Abu Dhabi United Group in September 2008

First signing: Robinho (£32.5m, Real Madrid)
Biggest signing: Robinho (£32.5m, Real Madrid)
Amount of signings: 1 (the takeover was completed on deadline day)
Overall spend: £32.5m

January 2009: Overall spend of £49.9m on four players, with Nigel de Jong (£18m, Hamburg) the most expensive

Sunderland – taken over by Ellis Short in May 2009

First signing: Fraizer Campbell (£3.5m, Manchester United)
Biggest signing: Darren Bent (£10m, Tottenham)
Amount of signings: 5
Overall spend: £28.5m

Birmingham – taken over by Carson Yeung in October 2009

First signing: Michel (£3m, Sporting Gijon)
Biggest signing: Michel (£3m, Sporting Gijon)/Craig Gardner (£3m, Aston Villa)
Amount of signings: 2
Overall spend: £6m

Summer 2010: Overall spend of £16.8m on five players, with Ben Foster (£6m, Manchester United) and Nikola Zigic (£6m, Valencia) the most expensive

Liverpool – taken over by New England Sports Ventures in October 2010

First signing: Luis Suarez (£22.7m, Ajax)
Biggest signing: Andy Carroll (£35m, Newcastle)
Amount of signings: 2
Overall spend: £57.7m

Summer 2011: Overall spend of £54.95m on seven players, with Stewart Downing (£20m, Aston Villa) the most expensive

Blackburn – taken over by Venky’s in November 2010

First signing: Ruben Rochina (£405,000, Barcelona B)
Biggest signing: Mauro Formica (£3.5m, Newell’s Old Boys)
Amount of signings: 2
Overall spend: £3.9m

Summer 2011: Overall spend of £16m on seven players, with Scott Dann (£6m, Birmingham) the most expensive

QPR – taken over by Tony Fernandes in August 2011

First signing: Joey Barton (free, Newcastle)
Biggest signing: Shaun Wright-Phillips (£4m, Manchester City)
Amount of signings: 5
Overall spend: £7.4m

Swansea – taken over by Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan in June 2016

First signing: George Byers (free, Watford)
Biggest signing: Borja Baston (£15.5m, Atletico Madrid)
Amount of signings: 8
Overall spend: £32.25m

Southampton – taken over by Gao Jisheng in August 2017

First signing: Wesley Hoedt (£15m, Lazio)
Biggest signing: Wesley Hoedt (£15m, Lazio)
Amount of signings: 1
Overall spend: £15m

January 2018: Overall spend of £19m, entirely on Guido Carrillo

Arsenal – taken over by Stan Kroenke in September 2018

First signing: Denis Suarez (loan, Barcelona, January 2019)
Biggest signing: Nicolas Pepe (£72m, Lille, summer 2019)
Amount of signings: 1 in January 2019, 4 in summer 2019
Overall spend: £130m