Newcastle United have been in an upwards trajectory since PIF bought the club in October 2021.
Jim White has claimed Yasir Al-Rumayyan believes Newcastle United were already operating at the “next level” - more than two years ago.
Debate raged on the airwaves about where the Magpies stand in the battleground that is English football. When PIF bought Newcastle almost four years ago, the club were viewed as a sleeping giant after years of mismanagement under Mike Ashley.
A passionate fan base had been starved of success, hope and ambition as the Magpies hurtled towards relegation. Fast forward to the present and Newcastle have broken their trophy hoodoo while securing Champions League football twice in three seasons.
Newcastle United’s transfer window
A slow start to the window is set to end as United close in on signing Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga. The £55million fee might be steep but Toon fans will hope Eddie Howe can develop the Swede into a top Premier League winger.
NewcastleWorld understands the incomings could continue as St James' Park bosses work on several high-profile deals. Howe is keen to add to his squad as he prepares for a demanding European and domestic campaign.
Simon Jordan on PIF’s mood
Radio host White, in conversation with co-host Simon Jordan, discussed whether PIF will be happy with Newcastle’s progress. The former Crystal Palace chairman insisted they will be but pointed towards Saudi investment in other sports as a frustration.
“We've seen what Saudi ownership does in other sports it owns,” Jordan said. “The king of boxing is Turki Al-Sheikh. He's had a free rein to be able to do as he wants. His money and his desires and ambitions and his innovation have created an opportunity for him to be top of the pile.
“He's calling the shots. Everybody comes down and comes to him. So I would imagine that's what they (PIF) wanted at Newcastle, to have a team that they could build. But I would suspect in the great scheme of things, looking at what they've been able to achieve, realising that once they've walked into the environment, that the rigours and vigours of it are weighted against them because of the construct of the way that the governance is put in place. I would imagine that they're quite happy (overall).”
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Jim White shares Yasir Al-Rumayyan message
Responding to Jordan, former Sky Sports presenter White let slip about a time he met Newcastle supremo Al-Rumayyan after the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United in 2023. The club chairman - and PIF governor - was adamant the Magpies were heading in the right direction.
“I remember speaking to Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Newcastle chairman, after they lost the Carabao Cup final to Manchester United,” White said. “And he said to me behind the scenes at Wembley ‘We're already at the next level. We've lost today, but we're at the next level’. Well, now they truly are.”
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