Peter Silverstone, the former Arsenal Chief Commercial Officer who helped deliver some of the club’s most lucrative, and controversial, partnerships, has been placed on gardening leave at Newcastle United ahead of taking up a senior commercial position with Juventus later this year.
Silverstone, who joined Newcastle in 2022 as part of Saudi’s Public Investment Fund’s post-takeover overhaul, had been overseeing the club’s commercial strategy and global brand development. His departure marks a significant change inside the club’s executive structure.
At Newcastle, Silverstone was tasked with transforming commercial revenues to bring the club in line with Europe’s elite. Insiders suggest he had been focused on long-term projects such as securing a training ground naming-rights partner and exploring future stadium opportunities. Despite not finalising either deal before his exit, his tenure is understood to have laid the groundwork for future deals.
Silverstone’s expected move to Juventus will mark the next chapter in a career that has spanned two of Europe’s biggest leagues. His time at Arsenal was particularly influential. Joining in 2015 as Business Development Director, he rose to Commercial Director and then Chief Commercial Officer, heavily involved in the Adidas kit deal, the Visit Rwanda partnership, which is subject to fan pressure, and the club’s collaboration with Amazon on the All or Nothing documentary.
He also expanded the club’s retail operations and strengthened relationships with long-term partners like Fly Emirates and Intel, while playing a key role in elevating Arsenal Women’s commercial profile. Under his leadership, Arsenal’s commercial revenues reached record levels, with the Adidas contract alone worth £60m per season, double that of the previous Puma deal.
Juventus, who have been rebuilding their global image following a turbulent few years, are believed to view Silverstone’s experience in structuring multi-platform commercial growth as key to their long-term strategy. His appointment follows a series of internal changes in Turin aimed at modernising the club’s business operations.
Silverstone’s exit from Newcastle comes amid continued uncertainty about the club’s infrastructure plans, with discussions ongoing over whether to expand St James’ Park or move to a new stadium. Newcastle’s board, led by stadium development head Brad Miller as Chief Operating Officer, has described the project as a decade-long ambition to “deliver a fantastic fan experience” that also provides “strong revenue growth to increase PSR headroom.”