Not for the first time over the past few months, Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was in the stands on Sunday.
The Saudi governor was at St James’ Park last month to discuss the club’s next steps regarding stadium plans and put forward our ‘Project 20230’ plans before watching our 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest.
However, Sunday was the moment he witnessed history at Newcastle United, stepping out onto the pitch and holding up the trophy to 32,000 Mags, indicating ‘this is the first of many!’ while holding one finger in the air.
To make that a reality, we must keep our star players and show real ambition in the market, and it seems that is exactly what our chairman plans to do, with new details emerging on his stance heading into the summer.
As revealed by Craig Hope at [The Mail](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14508745/Newcastle-chief-tells-club-resist-offers-star-Alexander-Isak.html), Yasir Al-Rumayyan has instructed Newcastle United to keep Alexander Iska at all costs this summer.
The Swede scored what proved to be the decisive, cup-winning goal on Sunday and is now widely considered the best striker on the planet, seeing him attract interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and a number of overseas giants.
Hope reports that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is a huge fan of Isak and sent a club official to watch the 25-year-old in our 1-0 win at West Ham last Monday.
However, Al-Rumayyan is ‘adamant’ he is going absolutely nowhere and is thought to hold the forward in the highest regard of all our star players.
Instead, the PIF governor wants the club to build from a position of strength and improve Eddie Howe’s squad this summer, with The Telegraph insisting that ambitious plans are in place now our PSR situation has eased significantly.
In his piece for The Mail, Hope adds that Newcastle have ‘not discussed an asking price’ for Isak, despite suggestions of a £150m valuation.
That’s because the ‘message from above is clear’ – Al-Rumayyan and PIF have zero interest in losing our star striker, who has been simply electric this season with 28 goal involvements in 33 games in all competitions.
Isak still has three years left on his contract and talks over a new improved contract will be explored at the end of the season, where securing Champions League football will be the ultimate aim to ensure we can match the striker’s ambitions.