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HDH
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Anichebe is on course to become the first Nigerian footballer to own a team in Europe.
Former Everton and Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe is on the verge of making a significant power move in English football, as reports suggest he is heading a consortium to buy National League side Gateshead FC.
Speculation about a potential takeover has been swirling for weeks, with Chronicle Live confirming that the deal is close to completion.
Despite Gateshead’s reluctance to publicly comment, sources suggest that Anichebe’s ambition to enter football ownership is about to become reality.
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The club has been fan-owned since being relegated from the National League following financial mismanagement by previous owners.
However, recent meetings with Gateshead Soul members, who hold partial ownership, indicate that a new era under Anichebe’s leadership is imminent.
When asked about the status of the takeover, a club spokesperson told Chronicle Live, “No comment from our side at the minute.”
Anichebe’s vision: “We can be the change”
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Anichebe’s desire to step into football ownership has been no secret.
In a 2020 interview with Sky Sports, the former Super Eagles of Nigeria striker spoke about the importance of increasing Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) representation at boardroom level.
"I would like to go down that route of owning a team. I do have a group of people that are quite wealthy guys, and together we could go down that route," Anichebe stated.
He cited the example of former US international Tim Howard, who is part of a group that owns clubs in both the United States and UK, adding:
"I spoke to Tim Howard, who is part of a group that bought a club in America and they also own a club here [in the UK].
"I don't see why we can't all come together [as players] and buy clubs. I do think that is another way to really affect change. Instead of wanting change, we can be the change ourselves. We can place ourselves in those positions.
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"We have to have a seat at the table to really effect change. We can't try and affect change from the outside and looking in. I have seen a couple of players say they want to become CEOs or sporting directors and I think that is what we need to do.
Anichebe’s involvement first gained attention when Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper claimed that a figure outside of Gateshead’s official ownership structure had facilitated a deal to sign Frank Nouble, a move that later collapsed.
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However, Nouble was eventually signed, with sports agency AP Sports Advisory initially crediting Anichebe for his role in negotiations before later editing their statement.
The agency originally posted: "Huge thanks to Luke Clark (Head of Recruitment) and Victor Anichebe, who both played a key role in making this happen. The future is bright."
With takeover talks at an advanced stage, all eyes are now on Gateshead to see if Anichebe’s long-time vision of football ownership will officially be realised.
If that happens, Anichebe would become the first Nigerian footballer to ever own a football team in Europe.
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