Ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, Newcastle United and the PIF are ready to launch ‘Phase Two’ of their plans to launch the club into the footballing elite.
Dubbed ‘Project 2030’ by insiders, the five year plan sets out to disrupt the ‘Big Six’ and current elite establishment, with the PIF wholly committed to seeing Newcastle grow and develop further.
With trophies, world class talent and a new stadium all in sight, the prospect of Newcastle United truly becoming a powerhouse in English football is right now more of a matter of when rather than if.
After Newcastle’s rapid ascension from relegation candidate to Champions League contender, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) have reportedly outlined their plans to cement the Toon as one of the top teams in the Premier League and wider Europe.
In an exclusive from The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, club insiders envision Newcastle competing for all silverware season after season, becoming regulars in the Champions League and pushing for a Premier League title before long, with 2030 tentatively pencilled in as when Newcastle will have closed the gap on the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League hierarchy.
It’s believed club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan led a board meeting on Tyneside last month and was ‘full of enthusiasm’ for the project and PIF’s commitment, with our majority owners determined to see the club become one of football’s leading operators on and off the pitch.
Edwards writes “The 2030 date is a loose deadline and is not cast in stone, but the intention is to continue to close the revenue gap on the traditional “Big Six” and strive to build a squad who are competitive in the latter stages of every competition they play.”
🚨EXCLUSIVE Newcastle United launch Project 2030 to turn club into a major force in Europe #nufc https://t.co/QVJ43JKpik
— Luke Edwards (@LukeEdwardsTele) March 12, 2025
After some cautious activity in the transfer market over the past few windows, Newcastle look to be in a position to truly compete financially, with Edwards reporting that the club could very well strengthen the squad heavily this summer.
Alongside retaining the services of big names Alexander Isak, key acquisitions could be made in the defence, midfield and attack.
Whilst the men’s team remains high priority, increased effort into the women’s team is also on the agenda, with Becky Langley’s side eyeing up a spot in the WSL in the foreseeable future.
In addition to the previously-discussed goals of silverware and stadium development plans, closing the revenue gap between Newcastle and the rest of the Premier League’s top sides is also envisioned.
“The gap remains a huge one. Until Newcastle can spend as much money on wages and transfers as the richest clubs in the country it will severely hinder their chances of success on the pitch.”
Whilst there are still obstacles surrounding the likes of APT rules, ‘Project 2030’ should be the most clear sign yet that Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the PIF’s interest in Newcastle remains high.
“Rather than suggest PIF’s interest in Newcastle is waning, Al-Rumayyan insisted it remains committed to turning the club into one of the leading football operations and has challenged all department heads to deliver a plan to get there.”
Backing Eddie Howe to continue delivering from the dugout, and assembling some of the top minds in football like Paul Mitchell as part of the club hierarchy, the fundamentals are there for Newcastle to truly break the Premier League’s glass ceiling and realise their real potential as a club.
Bigger issues' - Newcastle United verdict after Yasir Al-Rumayyan's PIF announcement