That said, I can actually understand DD's point regarding Cook being one of the main reasons for the takeover.
I outright agree with him, and you. In fact I think the people disagreeing with him in this thread probably agree with that larger point.
You don't spend £200m on a company because you like the CEO. You buy it because it fits your goals and you think can provide good value for money above your other targets. If Newcastle were a better financial prospect but they really loved Cook then as you pointed out there would be nothing stopping them from buying Newcastle and appointing Cook.
They bought City because of a multitude of reasons and whilst Khaldoon and others probably really rated Cook, it seems foolhardy to assume that he was the sole or even a major reason that the takeover happened say, in front of the fact that we had excellent relations with the local council and had a stadium that was only 6 years old.