Premier League team Newcastle United says it’s up for sale following interest from Middle Eastern financier Amanda Staveley

Mike Ashley.Getty Images

Newcastle United has been put up for sale just two weeks after it held board-room talks with a powerful Middle Eastern financier.

A sale would end Sports Direct billionaire Mike Ashley’s 10-year association with the club.

A statement released on the club’s official website said Newcastle “requires a clear direction and a path to a bright and successful future.”

It added: “To give the club the best possible opportunity of securing the positioning and investment necessary to take it to the next level, its present ownership has determined that the club be put up for sale.”

One interested party could be Amanda Staveley, one of Britain’s wealthiest women with a net worth of £110 million ($146 million).

Amanda Staveley was present at the club’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool in October.Getty Images

Staveley, an ex-girlfriend of Prince Andrew and a former model, runs wealth management firm PCP Capital Partners.

She sparked speculation regarding a takeover earlier in October when she attended a Newcastle match and reportedly met managing director Lee Charnley in the club boardroom.It’s not clear if Staveley is planning to broker a deal or buy Newcastle herself.

Newcastle, currently 9th in the Premier League, could be acquired for £380 million ($504 million), according to The Times.