A Newcastle United player was seen wearing the shirt of another club amid speculation that he could join the PIF in the Saudi Pro League.
The Magpies are no stranger to deals with their majority stakeholders since the historic takeover in 2021.
Newcastle United sold Allan Saint-Maximin to Al-Ahli in 2023 for around £23m. The Frenchman has not had the best of times since the move, however, being loaned out to Fenerbahce for the 2024/25 season.
Recently, there has been speculation over the futures of two Newcastle players. It was reported that Bruno Guimaraes had interest from Al-Hilal this summer. It has since been confirmed that the Brazilian is not interested in joining the Saudi Pro League side and is happy to stay on Tyneside.
PIF have spent heavily at Newcastle since the takeover in 2021, and they are expected to give Newcastle boss Eddie Howe the funds to bring more players in this summer. However, there has been speculation regarding the future of one of his most passionate players, suggesting he may join the PIF in Saudi Arabia.
He was recently spotted wearing the shirt of a different team, and has since explained why he chose to do so.
Joelinton applauds the travelling Newcastle United fans after their defeat to Aston Villa.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Newcastle United star Joelinton explains why he wore another club’s shirt
Joelinton was brilliant once again for Newcastle during the 2024/25 season. The Brazilian was a dominant force in Howe’s midfield, helping them to gritty wins and a cup final.
However, Joelinton was spotted wearing the shirt of Brazilian Serie A side Sport Recife. He was visiting the training ground and even took part in a training session, effectively starting his pre-season early.
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Geordie Boot Boys were told Joelinton has attracted interest from PIF in the Saudi Pro League, with the belief that Newcastle would sign Atalanta’s Ederson to replace him.
Joelinton wearing a different shirt may have raised a few alarm bells, but he has since explained his reasoning.
Joelinton told Jornal do Commercio: “Whenever I’m on vacation, I come here to train. This has happened every season and it has brought me luck. I’m very happy to be back home.”
Joelinton’s training plans mean great things for Newcastle United
At the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Newcastle were walking wounded with several players out injured – Joelinton was one of them.
The 28-year-old had been struggling with a knee injury for several months and decided to play on with it heavily bandaged. Unfortunately, it got to the point where he could no longer manage and needed time out. Consequently, Joelinton missed the final few games of the season but the Magpies were still able to qualify for the Champions League.
Joelinton being back out on the grass and training with a team is a great thing for Howe and Newcastle. It shows that the Brazilian should be ready to come back fit and ready for pre-season so he can hit the ground running ahead of a busy campaign.
A gutsy midfielder, Joelinton would likely still try and play with a broken leg, but it is a positive that he has had his own time to recover and come back stronger.