Newcastle United's prospective owners 'would almost certainly have been less interested' in a takeover had the European Super League (ESL) plans been realised.
That's according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, who was speaking to Football Insider.
Super League would have 'endangered the essence of the game', says takeover figure
Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal had agreed in principle to become founding members of the new European competition for which they would have qualified automatically every year and whose fixtures would have been a highlight of your sports events betting guide.
The clubs were threatened with expulsion from the Premier League and would have been immune from the consequences of finishing outside the top four until the ESL was disbanded amid multiple withdrawals from the clubs involved.
Mehrdad Ghodoussi, a partner in the firm looking to buy Newcastle, accused the six English clubs of 'endangering the essence of the game and its competitive nature'.
'The Premier League as a product would have been significantly devalued'
The plans ended last Tuesday after Chelsea pulled out and their rivals followed suit. According to Maguire, that may just have kept hopes of the £300m Newcastle takeover alive.
"The rewards would have been substantially less for a club not in the franchise league," he told Football Insider.
"We're not sure what the vehicle for qualification to the Super League would have been in terms of the five extra spaces.
"But in any case, the Premier League as a product would have been significantly devalued.
"It's a mess that decreases the incentives for anyone looking to buy a club."
Newcastle have taken legal action against the Premier League in a bid to resurrect the deal.
Transfer Tavern verdict
The concern for the would-be buyers would be getting a return on their investment. Had the six clubs been kicked out, the value of the Premier League TV deal would surely have plummeted.
Although the remaining clubs would have a better chance of qualifying for the Champions League, the UEFA competition would have been reduced to a pale, far less lucrative, imitation. Therefore, Newcastle fans ought to be hugely relieved that the ESL has been shelved.
In other news, could this be a transfer deal made possible by a takeover?