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Lee Ryder

'We want to be the best' - Amanda Staveley discusses transfers, a new CEO and Newcastle ambitions

Amanda Staveley has confirmed that Newcastle United will be adding a new chief executive officer to the club's ranks in due course. The Magpies are already bringing Dan Ashworth in as technical director but Staveley says that a replacement for departed managing director Lee Charnley will also be found.

Staveley, speaking at today's Financial Times Live event, said: "We're really enjoying it. We want to make sure we do a good job. We are responsible for a lot of fans. But we also want to make sure we have the right CEO material.

"Why are we not? We haven't had the experience of other CEOs.

"We're shareholders, we want this club to be the greatest club in the world. We want to work on a daily basis which ever new chief executive joins us.

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"We have had some amazing candidates that we have talked to. We have tried to find the best.

"We hope we are doing a good job we really do. I am sure the test of that will be in six months.

"The most important thing for us was to find a great manager, we've done that, to find a director of football.

"Ultimately this club is owned by the fans and the majority shareholders are PIF. It hasn't just been I and Mehrdad working, we are speaking 20 times a day to PIF, they are visiting us all the team and we are great friends and colleagues.

"They have made great decisions in the transfer window. In terms of asset management, they're asset managers, we work well as a team."

When asked if she would be staying around in the long-term, the Ripon financier said: "I hope so. We're shareholders and want to be shareholders for 20 years. We are patient and want to see this club grow."

Staveley was also asked to compare the club they took over from Mike Ashley and the club they own now. And there was a nod to the ambition to be one of the best clubs in the world.

Staveley said: "We didn't have the pockets to invest, nor do Mehrdad and I. Thank God we have wealthy investors alongside us like PIF and the Reuben family.

"What Mike had done was run the club efficiently and he'd taken a view he needed to sell. We arrived and we have a different business model, that is to grow the club to be a huge global business and brand and we want to be the best at football and challenge for trophies.

"That needs a lot of investment. I'm not saying we are silly money because we're not. I hope that next transfer window people will see that, we are not going to overpay for players or assets, if people think that we're absolutely not."

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