Newcastle United's owners, PIF, have outlined their long-term vision for the club, which goes against recent takeover claims
Yasir Al-Rumayyan
Yasir Al-Rumayyan stressed PIF's approach following the club's takeover(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
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PIF made a long-term promise to Newcastle United that flies in the face of Richard Keys' claim that they are trying to offload the club.
As a difficult season draws enters the final straight, the club's Saudi chiefs are aware of unrest among a section of the fanbase, which cranked up following the derby defeat to Sunderland. But as Chronicle Live reported last month, PIF have no plans to sell up, even if there are interested parties.
Keys, the now former beIN Sports presenter, claimed in a recent blog post that the "project was over." He said: "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 Saudis want £1bn. £500m is nearer the mark."
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That claim is wide of the mark, with plans for next season and beyond already gathering pace, including a new training ground and £1million in funding to enhance facilities at St James' Park.
You only have to go back to PIF's original stance following their takeover of the club in 2021. In an open letter to fans, non-executive chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan insisted PIF was in it for the long haul.
He said: "Like you, we want to create a consistently successful team. We’re here to build long-term success for the club.
"What will that look like in practice? First and foremost, we want to talk to people at the Club and across the wider community to get their input before we finalise our plans. We will make sure to focus on things that will deliver long-term success.
Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe's performance will be assessed at the end of the season(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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"Whilst we are newcomers to Newcastle, we are investing alongside people who have been committed to this Club and this city for many years."
Four and a half years on, PIF chiefs will not make any knee-jerk reactions regarding head coach Eddie Howe and will hold an end-of-season performance review to assess overall results on and off the pitch.
The plan is to give CEO David Hopkinson, sporting director Ross Wilson and Howe the chance to perform in the summer window.
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