Ipswich Town co-owner Brett Johnson has revealed he looked into buying Premier League side Newcastle United before ultimately taking control of the Blues.

Johnson, along with partners Berke Bakay and Mark Detmer, spearheaded the US-backed takeover of the Blues earlier this month as they bought the club from former owner Marcus Evans in a deal understood to be worth £40million.

The trio are part of the ownership group at US second-tier club Phoenix Rising, while Johnson also has financial interest in Danish side Helsingor and American third division side FC Tucson. He is also currently launching another US second-tier side in Rhode Island and is reported to be working towards acquiring Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners.

But Johnson has previously described English football as ‘the ultimate’ and revealed he was approached about the possibility of buying Newcastle, a club the subject of controversial ongoing takeover talks linked to a consortium using money from Saudi Arabia.

Johnson, though, insisted buying the Magpies wasn’t worth the risk.

“We had been approached, like lot of people, to kick the tyres on Newcastle and we thought that was compelling,” Johnson said, speaking on the Price of Football Podcast.

“Then again, I look at Newcastle and on a risk versus reward basis it’s an incredible brand but, if you’re buying it in the Premier League you have a lot of risk it goes down and probably not an awful lot of appreciation. What I would say is that it’s an unbelievable brand which is probably not punching at its weight class.

“But I’m happy for a lot of reasons that it set us on a path to look at England and then ultimately get to the point where, all things considered, Ipswich is the right team, the right brand, the right culture and the right market at the right time.

“We’re really pleased that, with Marcus Evans’ support, we were able to get this to the starting line.”

Johnson was then asked what attracted him to Ipswich Town, rather than buying into the Premier League at Newcastle.

“If you look at all the boxes its checked on the pitch, like all the cups the club have won and the incredible pedigree of Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby (Robson),” he said.

“Portman Road is an iconic place to play and the club has such a proud history but, unfortunately, for the last decade plus it’s been punching below its weight and going in the wrong direction.

“Relative to our aspirations there are a lot of ways for us to bring it up and not too many for us to bring it down. I certainly hope that’s the case.

“With the limited free time I have I’ve been engaging with the fans and hearing about the history and how it can find and develop talent rather than bring in big names. I appreciate that.

“Every one of those conversations helps you understand further what you’re a part of, so I’m grateful for that.”

Johnson was also asked about former owner Evans’ need to put money into the club each season (around £6million) to balance the books.

“I have the utmost respect to Marcus and other owners because this certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted relative to time,” Johnson said.

“The amount of time myself and my partners put in to all of the assets we have responsibility for and have the joy of being a part of, is a requisite. If you don’t have the right leadership off the pitch and right players on it then I struggle to see how you can be successful.

“Our approach to this financially is that we see every dollar with put in as equity. We intend to be good stewards of that equity and we’re seeking a return on that equity.

“For us that means, first stage, getting promoted to the Championship and then from there, god-willing up to the Premier League.”

The club’s new owners have all pledged to invest in Portman Road, a stadium which feels tired in many areas, but Johnson again stressed the first priority is success on the pitch.

“I think we’re not only going to invest in the playing staff but also Portman Road,” he said.

“My understanding, from a distance, is that it’s a fairly tired venue and there’s probably a fair bit of low-hanging fruit of changes to be made for the supporters.

“First and foremost it has to happen on the pitch and there’s nothing more important for us than immediately having the 18 players doing everything to get three points every week.

“But I certainly want all the supporters who come from great distance to support this club and have stuck with it through such dark days, to sit there thinking the food was better, the seat was cleaner and the scoreboard was new. All those elements that make people go away and turn to others and say ‘hey, you need to join me next time at Portman Road’.”