Newcastle: PIF ‘moving on to phase two’ of plans at St James’ Park | OneFootball

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·27 March 2023

Newcastle: PIF ‘moving on to phase two’ of plans at St James’ Park

Article image:Newcastle: PIF ‘moving on to phase two’ of plans at St James’ Park

Newcastle United’s owners, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, could be looking to move on to “phase two” of the project at St. James’ Park, Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has told GIVEMESPORT.

The Magpies have enjoyed an impressive campaign under the tutelage of head coach Eddie Howe and are likely to be playing European football next season.


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Newcastle news – PIF

Having bought out Newcastle from the ownership of Mike Ashley in October 2021, PIF have overseen a turnaround in fortunes on Tyneside after taking over the club amid a relegation dogfight.

The appointment of Howe soon steered them away from danger, and the Magpies have pushed on to be in with a genuine shout of securing Champions League football next season.

The club’s success has been aided by the Saudi owners spending over £210m on players such as Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier as the north east outfit look to compete with the financial muscle of the Premier League’s big six.

And Taylor believes that PIF will be thinking about moving to the next phase of the takeover and that securing Europa League football would be a “great step” for the club, despite the frustration they will feel of missing out on a place in the Champions League.

What has Taylor said about Newcastle?

Taylor told GIVEMESPORT: “I think it's almost moving on to phase two now of the takeover.

“You only have to look at the improvements Newcastle have made in the past 18 months, having gone from a bottom-half side bordering on relegation to potentially just missing out on the Champions League.

“The Europa League would be a great step for him after they got to the Carabao Cup final. It’s now just about closing the gap on the top sides.”

What next for Newcastle?

Newcastle are currently in pole position to secure their place in the Champions League next term, with the north east outfit sitting just two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, but crucially having played two games less than their north London counterparts.

In the immediate future, Howe will keep his side focused on the task at hand and will have already started preparations for Manchester United’s visit to St. James’ Park next Sunday.

The Magpies then travel to West Ham United the following midweek before another clash in the capital awaits when they make the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium to take on Brentford.

Howe will feel that seven points out of a possible nine would be an excellent return and would put the Tyneside outfit in an excellent position to go and secure Champions League football, which would likely further encourage PIF to increase their spending and move to the next phase of the project.

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