Newcastle United cut ties with Steve Bruce and appointed Eddie Howe as their new manager on November 8th.
Howe has helped the Magpies win only one league match since then and that has been the their only victory in the Premier League this season.
Two months ago, the Tyneside club were purchased by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Amanda Staveley, who owns 10 percent of the club, played a vital role in helping the present owners complete Newcastle’s takeover.
There were even claims the PIF wanted to add more clubs to their stable, which was confirmed by Staveley in November. She had then mentioned Inter Milan, AC Milan and Bordeaux.
Le Figaro on Wednesday explain the PIF made an attempt to buy OGC Nice. This could have likely taken place before Jim Ratcliffe took over the club in July 2019.
The newspaper have carried out a detailed interview with the Ligue 1 side’s president, Jean-Pierre Rivère, revealing he was approached by “a lot of people” before Ratcliffe’s arrival. As per the report, the PIF were ‘one among them’ who showed interested in Nice.
“When I understood, unfortunately a little late, that these [previous owners] shareholders 
were not the right ones for the future of OGC Nice, we agreed: I had to look for new investors, the right investors for the club,” Rivère explained.
Le Figaro claim Rivère probed more Ratcliffe’s interest in club after knowing about the interest in Nice, and the newspaper says the PIF chiefs were keen.
The newspaper states: ‘It is almost a coincidence, however, that Jim Ratcliffe left his suitcases in Nice. A figure of speech. When he [Rivère] learned of Ineos’ interest in football and Jim Ratcliffe’s plan to settle down… in Monaco, at the turn of a press article in October 2018, Jean-pierre Rivère decided to probe them’.
