With seven matches to go PIF chiefs are monitoring Newcastle United's results ahead of an end of season review
Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan will decide on Alexander Isak's future
Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan will decide on Alexander Isak's future(Image: Getty Images)
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Newcastle United owners PIF remain fully committed to the cause at St James' Park despite suggestions from the Middle East they may consider selling the Magpies.
PIF's top brass have not been spotted at a Newcastle game since the Champions League tie away to Paris St-Germain in January, when Yasir Al-Rumayyan was in attendance in the French capital. However, there has still been daily contact between PIF and the Newcastle board with representatives from Riyadh letting CEO David Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson get on with the job on the ground on Tyneside.
As reported on Monday morning, PIF chiefs will not make any knee-jerk reaction on Eddie Howe and plan an end-of-season performance review in which the overall results of the season on and off the pitch will be looked at. As things stand, the plan is to give Hopkinson, Wilson and Howe the chance to perform in the summer window.
That said Saudi chiefs are aware of unrest within the fanbase and the 2-1 loss to Sunderland and scenes that followed at St James' Park have not gone unnoticed. Reports on Newcastle being up for sale circulated after a blog post from Richard Keys, who said on Monday: "Another whisper I picked up recently - and I don’t think this will come as a surprise to anybody - I’m told the Saudis are looking to sell Newcastle.
"Regulars know I’ve been saying for some time the project was over Apparently there are interested parties, but the Saud’s want £1b. £500m is nearer the mark."
However, Chronicle Live understands that PIF have no intention to sell up on Tyneside even if there are interested parties. Sale talk has been dismissed and the plan is to look ahead to next season and beyond.
Newcastle want to announce a new training ground and £1million has been pledged to update facilities at St James' Park this summer.
Hopkinson has not reacted publicly since the derby defeat but for now Howe retains backing internally. Hopkinson was asked about the bigger picture back in December and said: "By 2030, I see this club being in the debate about being the top club in the world.
"That kind of progress doesn’t take as long as you might think. What it takes is clarity of conviction.
"Can Newcastle win the Premier League? Yeah, of course. Why not? Our job is to set ourselves up as perennial contenders. We have to have the courage to ignore those that doubt us and even those that laugh at us."
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