Feel so sorry for them.



Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) owns 75% stakes in four of the leading Saudi Arabian clubs, including Al-Hilal, while it also owns a 80% stake in Newcastle.

The Magpies rejected a £110m bid from Liverpool for Isak on Friday, with Newcastle valuing the Sweden international at about £150m.

"It makes me think about what the priority is for PIF," Newcastle fan writer Charlotte Robson told BBC Sport.

"More and more discontent has been felt in the fanbase lately over where Newcastle sit on PIF's list of priorities, and allowing another of their clubs to benefit at the potential expense of us feels even more like we are being overlooked.

"Perhaps it's their clever way of getting money into NUFC, but I think most fans would say we'd rather an improved contract was given to Isak, the dust of the summer settles, and he stays with us a little while longer."

(Source: BBC)

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/cvg31d03v3rt

Ah bless, are all the idiots who were waving Saudi flags and telling everyone criticising the takeover and mentioning ‘sportwashing’ they were just jealous starting to realise they‘ve been used?

That BBC article appears to lift from this I have just posted on the MMT

don't be too quick to mock Newcastle fans, what is happening could easily happen to us (or worse!)

[quote="Chester Perry" post_i!d=2592527 time=1754396135 user_id=2471]
As ever with Simon Chadwick, this latest blog is thoughtful, insightful and for some rather dispiriting. Could we see something similar play out for our club in it's multi-club guise that Velocity are pursuing.

from the GeoSport blog on Substack

Darwin Nunez, Newcastle United and hierarchical power in interorganisational networks
There's speculation that Saudi Arabian interests are governing player transfers, but this should be no surprise to anyone
https://profchadwick.substack.com/p/dar ... united-and
https://archive.ph/oRd78
[/quote]

They don’t seem to grasp that being owned by a countries public investment fund doesn’t mean you have access to all the money in it, it’s diversified across the world economy.

Chester Perry wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 05, 2025 1:18 pm

That BBC article appears to lift from this I have just posted on the MMT

don't be too quick to mock Newcastle fans, what is happening could easily happen to us (or worse!)

[quote="Chester Perry" post_i!d=2592527 time=1754396135 user_id=2471]
As ever with Simon Chadwick, this latest blog is thoughtful, insightful and for some rather dispiriting. Could we see something similar play out for our club in it's multi-club guise that Velocity are pursuing.

from the GeoSport blog on Substack

Darwin Nunez, Newcastle United and hierarchical power in interorganisational networks
There's speculation that Saudi Arabian interests are governing player transfers, but this should be no surprise to anyone
https://profchadwick.substack.com/p/dar ... united-and
https://archive.ph/oRd78

[/quote]

Hi Chester,

Sorry, I hadn't seen your post.

You know me - not personally but you know the way I am on here I think - and thus are aware I respect you and am grateful to you for your major contribution to this board.

I'm mocking those Newcastle fans that were so desperate for success they'd have sold their grannies to get it let alone selling their soul to the devil.

I'm well aware things could go sideways for us and FWIW I don't like the way the club was bought nor do I like the ownership of Espanyol.

However, our fans didn't line the streets of Burnley with the Stars and Stripes when Mr Pace came to town. He is what he is but the situation is different. You and other financially aware Clarets have attempted to inform us about the complex nature of how the club was bought and the ensuing developments. I think it's fair to say the fans are divided but few have given it large about our American owners.

The Saudi state owns Newcastle United FC. And that state had and has blood on its hands (most states do, I know). They pumped in £100m in January 2022 and prevented the club from going down.

I hope I've expressed myself in a proper manner and we can agree to disagree (slightly).

Their entitled fans loved them then but didn't they realise these people get bored quickly? They presumably thought they could override PSR etc and win the CL but it hasn't turned out like that.

I'm not his greatest fan but the owners have treated Eddie Howe, who has done a good job up there, pretty shabbily over Isak.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe says the transfer situation surrounding striker Alexander Isak is "complex" and "far from ideal".

Newcastle turned down a £110m bid from Liverpool for Isak on Friday, with the Magpies valuing him at about £150m.

The 25-year-old was left out of Newcastle's pre-season tour of Asia with what the club described as a "minor" thigh issue.

The Sweden international subsequently trained alone at former club Real Sociedad - something Howe said he found out about through the media.

Howe said after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Newcastle he didn't know if Isak would train this week, however, sources close to the situation have indicated Isak was due back in Newcastle this weekend.

"I think from my situation, I am very much removed from everything that is happening back home," Howe told a news conference, external on Saturday.

"I was made aware there was a bid yesterday. That bid was turned down before I heard about it. There are people back in England dealing with the situation.

"I really don't know what is going to happen next but, from our perspective, we still support Alex in every way and my wish is still that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again."

(Source: BBC)

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... gynrnyklxo

If this is true its bloody funny (unless you're Matt Targett) how the hell did they not realise...

It’s part of their pre-season preparations without Isak. Get used to missing the targett

You should only require 5% knowledge of Mohammed Bin Salman and the atrocities he is responsible for to realize that there is nothing good in the PIF fund - he's the Chairman of it. Dig deeper and you will be horrified.

Vegas Claret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 05, 2025 4:43 pm

You should only require 5% knowledge of Mohammed Bin Salman and the atrocities he is responsible for to realize that there is nothing good in the PIF fund - he's the Chairman of it. Dig deeper and you will be horrified.

No no no, MBS is nothing to do with the PIF.

The Premier League have had assurances and everything. No link whatsoever...

Fit and proper owners as Ricky Tomlinson didnt say" my arse"

I saw that the other day. It didn't feel like there was a great deal of logic to the theory.

Hibsclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 05, 2025 4:41 pm

It’s part of their pre-season preparations without Isak. Get used to missing the targett

He is a "left-back"

Wish we have thought of that and left Obafemi in Portugal.

Bosscat wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 05, 2025 4:38 pm

If this is true its bloody funny (unless you're Matt Targett) how the hell did they not realise...

Screenshot_20250805_162035_Chrome.jpg

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 05, 2025 8:49 pm

Wish we have thought of that and left Obafemi in Portugal.

We thought we had left him in Plymouth - as Truro declined earlier.

Newcastle could have all the money in the world, but they’ll never have the same pull as both Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

It’s a similar story with both Glasgow teams, even if they were finally allowed to join the Premier League.