COMMENT: Exciting. Transformative. This takeover of Newcastle United. The buyout of Mike Ashley. Well, it's just what the Toon Army needs - especially at this time. But Magpies fans also must know, this isn't going to be an overnight thing...
It's a headline grabber. And Newcastle fans have every right to dream. The spending power of this three-pronged consortium that now has the ownership of Ashley in it's final throes is exciting.
Those with connections to the Reuben brothers, who have followed Amanda Staveley's career and are across the ambitions of Saudia Arabia's Public Investment Fund, have trumpeted the financial backing Newcastle will soon boast. Talk of instantly 'buying any player in the world' and of 'competing for the title', is now being raised. But it has to be said, it just isn't going to be that easy.
And as much as the support will have to think at least mid-term - so will those in control of the purse strings. This isn't Mohamed al-Fayed buying Second Division (League One) Fulham back in 1997. Nor is it even Sheikh Mansour taking Manchester City off Thaksin Shinawatra's hands in 2008. The game and the way it's scrutinised has made a massive shift since those days.
Staveley and co will know - there'll be no emulating Sheikh Mansour's spending in 2020. They'll be able to do so, sure. And they'll be desperate to flex their spending power. But thanks in part to City, such ambitions will have to be tempered.
Once this mooted £300m sale goes through - and it could all be done before the end of the month - UEFA will be watching Newcastle like a hawk. And the same will go for their Premier League rivals.
City know this. They can tell Staveley all about it. A two season Champions League ban is now in the process of being appealed at the Court of Arbitration of Sport. But while that case is being heard, City's Prem rivals are lobbying authorities to instantly suspend them from next season's Champions League - before any ruling has been made.
And this is where Newcastle must be careful. City have defended their spending, insisting everything was done within UEFA's parameters of Financial Fair Play. But they're now facing two years in the European wilderness - and even threats of points being deducted from Premier League competition. As Newcastle fans will soon learn, those laws imposed by UEFA are designed to clip the wings of the ambitious - especially those outside the traditional elite. The instant spending power of Newcastle will not be welcomed by the 'old money' across the continent.
Need a hint? Well, the attitude of Bayern Munich is well known - particularly towards 'zee English' of Chelsea and City. Those uppity clubs who have gatecrashed the establishment over the past decade.
But the resentment actually runs deeper than simply money. Just consider the comments of Andrea Agnelli, the Juventus president, earlier this year regarding Atalanta and their amazing run to the Champions League final eight.
“I have great respect for everything that Atalanta are doing," declared Agnelli, "but without international history and thanks to just one great season, they had direct access into the primary European club competition. Is that right or not?"
"Then I think of Roma, who contributed in recent years to maintaining Italy's ranking. They had one bad season and are out, with all the consequent damage to them financially."
No-one beyond the Northeast will be welcoming this takeover. At home, it means another competitor for the top four and that Champions League cash Agnelli admits means so much to those members of the elite. And abroad, it'll mean another rival at the top end of the transfer market. Another threat to their team building plans.
As such, those with the biggest influence within the club game will be demanding authorities watch every move Newcastle make under their new ownership. And any slip up to be hit with the full weight of UEFA's laws.
Which is why, beyond any of the ideas pushed in the public space this week, the club's new regime must get their front office right.
Talk of Max Allegri succeeding Steve Bruce is a concern. Such chatter should not be getting off the ground. The new board must show some humility and their first call has to be finding their own Ferran Soriano/Txiki Begiristain partnership. Get them in at St James' Park. Let them get their feet under the table. Assess things. Then make a decision about Steve Bruce's future. And if a change is required - allow them to make it.
Just as Khaldoon al-Mubarak, City's chairman, has done with Soriano and Begiristain. Hire the best available football men and let them get on with it.
For this new version of Newcastle, those in power will be determined to put in place as many obstacles as they can. The time needed to get the club to where the new ownership wishes will be cut by getting those front office positions right.
No matter the money. No matter the dreams of the Toon faithful. This isn't going to happen overnight. But it can be short-circuited by focusing on the front office before anything else.
