The Premier League is well accustomed to the rich and wealthy. Consortia, businesspeople and oligarchs have come and gone, and some of the biggest net worths on the planet are involved in the English top flight. However, one club owner’s finances engulf the rest to such a degree that they could figuratively buy the remaining 19 teams multiple times and still have some money left over.
Forbes claim that Manchester United are the most valuable team in England, second in the world behind Real Madrid, valued at £4.8billion. Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a 27.7 per cent stake last year for £1.25bn. United are the second wealthiest club in the league, however, according to the combined estimated net worths of Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, which total at £15.4bn.
If you tally up the net worth of all owners in the division together, aside from the most-monied club, they come to a whopping £105.97bn.
Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian owners alone are worth £458.44bn.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund advanced from sixth to fifth place among the largest sovereign funds in the world for the first time in 2022, with their assets valued at over £450bn.
They could even buy out each Premier League owner four times over and have an extra £50bn left over.
Such deals could not materialise, with the league having strict rules over multi-club ownership within the same division, though the jaw-dropping figures underline just how much financial backing Newcastle have.
They do, however, still have to comply with profit and sustainability regulations that have curbed Eddie Howe’s ability to spend since arriving at St James’ Park.
The Magpies, under Middle Eastern control, were even forced into selling promising talents Elliott Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Nottingham Forest and Brighton a year ago.
Their concerns have been eased by reaching the Champions League next year, allowing Newcastle to fight off the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City for their top stars.
Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, and Sandro Tonali would all have received considerable interest from their English rivals had Newcastle missed out on a top-five position.
Instead, with Saudi wealth behind them, Newcastle can attack the window in a position of strength.
They are working without a sporting director for the time being, though, as Paul Mitchell is set to leave the club less than 12 months after his initial appointment as Dan Ashworth’s replacement.