The Shields Gazette have an excellent article out today on how much the Newcastle owners spent on bringing players into the 4 clubs they are now majority owners of – in the Saudi Pro League.
The 4 clubs are Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, and Al Nassr and they are all majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
And FIFA has just reported that the PIF paid a staggering £701M on new players in the summer and there are no FFP rules governing investment as there are in the Premier League.
Former Premier League players now plying their trade for the 4 PIF clubs in the Saudi Pro League include Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Ruben Neves, Jordan Henerson, Fabinho, Kalidou Koulibaly, Alex Telles, Edouard Mendy and Sadio Mane.
And EUFA are reported to be considering inviting Al Nassr into the Champions League for next season.
And we shouldn’t forget that Newcastle sold Allan Saint-Maximin to Al Ahli for £22M last summer and he has now played 13 games for his Saudi club with 3 goals and 3 assists.
While at Newcastle Allan played 124 games with 13 goals and 21 assists.
So Allan Saint-Maximin seems to be doing well enough in Saudi Arabia by his stats.
The fact that the PIF can spend a huge amount of money over one summer shows why other top Premier League clubs are alarmed about Newcastle in the future.
We are limited at the moment because of our revenues – but once they rise it seems like the PIF can afford any transfer amount Newcastle need, under the rules of the FFP, where you can only spend so much, based on your annual revenue.
Our owners are working hard to raise the commercial revenues at Newcastle and are doing a good job of getting some stellar deals closed.
Our revenues in a couple of years could be double what they were when the new owners took over – from around £180M to close to £400M.
So that’s why the top PL clubs and the Premier League itself are trying to put restrictions on Newcastle.
It’s a pity they didn’t do that in the past with clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City.
Chelsea have won 5 Premier League championships, 2 Champions Leagues, 5 FA Cups, and 3 League cups since they were acquired by Roman Abramovich for £140m in 2003.
Manchester City, since they were acquired by Sheikh Mansour in September 2008 for £200M, have won the following – 7 Premier League Championships, 3 FA Cups, 6 League Cups, and one Champions League.
Rafa Benitz was right when he said the best clubs in the Premier League are those with the most money.
This is the statement Rafa made back in 2013, while interim manager at Chelsea:
“Football has changed. We know since the arrival of people with big money, the Premier League has changed,”
“To manage a club with common sense used to be fine. To have a good manager like Wenger was fine, and you could achieve things.”
“Now it’s a different world with clubs with big money.”
“You cannot compare the two.”
As far as we can tell, our owners are managing Newcastle with common sense and also have big money available, probably more each year as our revenues continue to rise.
So we wonder how many trophies Newcastle will win in the next decade – even with the Premier League doing everything they can to prevent us becoming super successful – like Chelsea and Manchester City in the past.
What do you think about this?
58 comments so far
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Nov 16, 2023 at 2:48 PM
Comment #1Ref Callum Wilson. 11 games in and scored 7 goals. Do the maths. Yes, he gets injured a lot, but who else is going to 20 goals this season?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/top-scorers
Adamn_92
Nov 16, 2023 at 2:52 PM
Comment #2Pug
Aye it’s great. When he’s on the pitch.
When he’s injured, it doesn’t help too much. Which is why a 3rd striker is probably a good idea to fill in when he’s not playing.
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Nov 16, 2023 at 2:53 PM
Comment #3I do agree we need a young and upcoming striker.
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Nov 16, 2023 at 2:54 PM
Comment #4I thought we had one in the U21/23’s . I cannot remember his name.
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Nov 16, 2023 at 2:55 PM
Comment #5Or we could go for Toney or Ranger lol 🙂
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Nov 16, 2023 at 2:56 PM
Comment #6I know Wilson gets injured a lot but compared to half of our 1st team he is fitter than a butcher’s dog.
check the toastie
Nov 16, 2023 at 2:57 PM
Comment #7Ben Parkinson looked busy against Bournemouth, but big ask of the kid.
Wilson is at the backend of his career, can only get worse. Only has 18 month left so is about right. Plenty off the wage bill in the summer. Squad could be unrecognisable next season.
What it will be is a shit load stronger. Cant be playing Matt Ritchie in the PL. just cant.
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 16, 2023 at 2:59 PM
Comment #8Which teams have a third striker?
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:01 PM
Comment #9SirP,
How do you work that one out?
Flurzinho
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:04 PM
Comment #10Wilson is not strong enough for more than half a season, time to move on.
A knackered clock is correct twice a day!
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:07 PM
Comment #11Jail. ambiguous question. If you are referring to fitter than a butcher’s dog, all we need is Pope to get injured and our injured team is better than the one on the pitch. Wilson gets injured but he scores when there.
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:08 PM
Comment #12Still our top goal scorer. Just saying, for a friend. 🙂
check the toastie
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:12 PM
Comment #13Chelsea – Nkunku, Jackson, Broja
Man Utd – Hojland, Martial, Rashford
Liverpool – Nunez, Jota, Gakpo
Man City – Haaland, Alvarez, whoever Pep turns into a striker.
Arsenal – Jesus, Nketia, no one
Spuds – Son, no one
Villa – Watkins, no one
Brighton – Wellbeck, Ferguson,
So all the top clubs dont really carry three ‘9’s.
Just a shame ours are made of glass.
check the toastie
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:15 PM
Comment #14Other teams do seem to bring youngsters in when injuries occur, we are still beholding to Brucies heroes such as Ritchie, Dummett and Krafth. Which is fair enuf currently, but we really do need to start sourcing better kids for our youth teams.
Only good kids are from Chelsea’s (Hall and Tino). Miley looks technically smart but miles away in terms of athleticism
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:15 PM
Comment #15SirP,
But how is he fitter than half the first team, he’s out for six weeks by all accounts.
Adamn_92
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:17 PM
Comment #16Following on from Check:
Brighton list 7 players as ‘strikers’
Villa gave Watkins and Duran (Watkins never seems to get injured much)
Arsenal list 6 players as forwards
Man City, Haaland and Alvarez never seem to get injured much
Liverpool list 6 players as forwards
etc etc
We list 4 players as forwards: Isak, Wilson, Gordon and Barnes.
Barnes is a stretch in my opinion and Wilson gets injured a lot and unfortunately Isak has been unlucky since joining too. So think we need that 3rd option more than other clubs that are around us.
NY Mag
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:20 PM
Comment #17So basically no one….one out and out CF
A Geordie Mongrel
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:25 PM
Comment #18Parkinson did okay and we also have Ndiweni coming through. Whether they’re ready to step up is another matter entirely. I don’t follow the u21s too closely.
A Geordie Mongrel
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:29 PM
Comment #19Pure centre forwards are a pretty rare breed these days. That’s why they’re so expensive. Sadly.
NY Mag
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:32 PM
Comment #20AGM,
They are indeed a rare breed, which is why Callum Wilson is priceless 🙂
The Mighty Quinn
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:47 PM
Comment #21Once upon a time.
We were linked with Watkins when he was at Brentford but Cabbage wanted Wilson as he’d been monitoring him for years, going back to his Coventry days. So that’s why we signed Wilson instead of Watkins.
The end.
Afterthought.
Other stories may well be verified as to why we didn’t sign Watkins.
i e The fat slug
i e Cabbage being a patsy
i e The fat slug threatening to eat the Cabbage.
i e Penfold couldn’t be arsed to scout Watkins.
Adamn_92
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:49 PM
Comment #22Wilson this season has missed 6 games through injury so far
22/23 season missed 7
21/22 season missed 30
20/21 season missed 18
Isak this season has missed 6 games through injury so far
22/23 season missed 16
21/22 season missed 5
20/21 season missed 0
Wilsons injury record has been bad for years. He’s a superb striker but you just know at some stage in the season, he won’t be available for a decent amount of games. Isak by the looks of his history has just been a bit unlucky since joining. Maybe adapting to English league physicality.
I won’t go through every clubs players as that’d take forever, so lets just go for a mixed bunch:
Evan Ferguson has missed 2 games through injury this season
22/23 missed 5 games
Joao Pedro has missed 0 games through injury this season
22/23 missed 14 games
21/22 missed 0 games
20/21 missed 0 games
Ollie Watkins seemingly has little injury history to go by, but what I did find:
0 games this season
22/23 0 games
21/22 2 games
Salah
Missed 0 games due to injury in last 3 seasons
Nunez
Missed 0 games this season through injury
22/23 missed 6 games
21/22 missed 4 games
20/21 missed 18 games
19/20 missed 2 games
Point being, Wilson is the most consistent in terms of missing games due to injury compared to other clubs strikers. Meaning we are always more at risk of being short of options up top in comparison to teams around us.
(All injury stats found through transfermarkt website.)
Adamn_92
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:51 PM
Comment #23It isn’t about what other clubs have 3 striker options or not. It’s about what other clubs have a striker they know will consistently miss a chunk of games each season because of injury.
NY Mag
Nov 16, 2023 at 3:55 PM
Comment #24I actually captained Watkins in my FPL team last week 🙂
But I’d still have Callum (even though I don’t have him in my FPL team)
Hibbit
Nov 16, 2023 at 4:12 PM
Comment #25just out of interest ,how many of Wilson 7 goals this season are penalties
mctoon
Nov 16, 2023 at 4:14 PM
Comment #26I asked the other day, which of our CL rivals carried three out and out strikers.
None of them do really.
They carry one or two and then have wide forwards who weigh in with the goals, such as Rashford, Martinelli, Sako, Diaz, Salah, Diaby, Sterling etc
If we get another ‘9’ it will be at the expense of Wilson leaving, in the same window in my view.
None of the top teams carry three strikers of real quality and most of them don’t have the FFP restrictions we currently have.
Like Raj said, I think it’s much more likely we’ll get a wide forward that can play on the right, a potential upgrade on and in competition with Almiron … Someone with a track record of weighing in with goals and could act as a makeshift striker too.
We’ll continue to invest in youth and hopefully we’ll bring through another top striker that way.
People thinking we’ll spend big on a striker in January of the quality to have put the likes of Dortmund to the sword though, I think are well wide of the mark.
Like I said, not without selling Wilson at the same time, I can’t see a £100k/week player being allowed to become a third choice emergency striker. If the likes of Citeh, Manure or Liverpool can’t afford it, no chance we can yet IMO.
check the toastie
Nov 16, 2023 at 4:29 PM
Comment #27You know, wasnt so long back we whooped Palace at home 4-0, everyone strutting about not a care in the world.
Three weeks later after we’ve been thru Dortmund and Bournemouth we look doomed.
We arnt doomed if Isak stays fit, in fact the opposite we could do great. Fine margins, can our best number 9 stay fit. Thats the question.
check the toastie
Nov 16, 2023 at 4:39 PM
Comment #28Isak is key to the whole season, if he starts every PL and european game we could be in business. Him and Willock and Gordon could be mint.
Hopefully this two weeks does us the world of good.
Just got an awful feeling about Botman. Some of injuries do linger far longer than first imagined.
The Mighty Quinn
Nov 16, 2023 at 4:41 PM
Comment #29Hibbit, 2 penalties for Wilson.
custurd
Nov 16, 2023 at 4:42 PM
Comment #30Hibbit: “just out of interest, how many of Wilson 7 goals this season are penalties”.
Two. Burnley and Wolves.
wynsleap
Nov 16, 2023 at 4:46 PM
Comment #31Much as I admire Wilson as a person and a player who has always known the way to goal I can’t help thinking that his time at the Toon is almost up. We can’t have players continually in the treatment room no matter how good they are.
I think he should be sold in the summer window and replaced with two young hungry forwards who have a decent goal scoring record for Howe to improve on.
Not a popular comment I would think, but I’d suggest that if we get the money back (or most of it) for Tonali we jettison him too in the summer when his ban is complete. Let’s face it, he hasn’t exactly shown a lot while here and I think his name will always be slightly tainted in this country.
This window and the summer one will be crucial in the progress of this club.
Misplaced and sentimental loyalty to players who have seen (or won’t see) better days for a variety of reasons must be replaced by a number of top class, fitter individuals.
I’m thinking of people like Lascelles, Wilson, Murphy, Gillespie, Krafth, Karius, Dummett, Manquillo and possibly Anderson (who already isn’t as good as Miley). That’s without finally dispatching some of our fringe players like Clarke, Lewis, Hendrick and Hayden who are costing us money for no return.
The jury is also out on Barnes although his injury probably keeps him safe for now.
I’m sure the PIF will realise our meteoric rise can easily be reversed with the wrong or delayed decisions, howevr I do trust them and Eddie to get it right.
Hibbit
Nov 16, 2023 at 4:58 PM
Comment #32thank you
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 16, 2023 at 5:00 PM
Comment #33I asked yesterday which club made the proposal that clubs shouldn’t take loans from affiliated clubs, anyone have an answer?
A Geordie Mongrel
Nov 16, 2023 at 5:01 PM
Comment #34I can’t see Wilson leaving though. His contract was extended to 30/06/25. As long as he is with us there is a good chance of trophies. If that means limiting his minutes to keep him available then all well and good. That’ll help extend his career but we can’t rely on him. That is the conundrum. Another is that Eddie likes versatile players but he doesn’t seem to like playing someone out of their first choice position. How does he square that circle?
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 16, 2023 at 5:02 PM
Comment #35Might not be a bad idea recalling Hayden!
Hibbit
Nov 16, 2023 at 5:05 PM
Comment #36another Milan player under investigation in this betting scandal,
https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/ac-milan-defender-alessandro-florenzi-latest-name-linked-to-illegal-betting-scandal-investigation-per-report/
Davas
Nov 16, 2023 at 5:10 PM
Comment #37Egb
I think I read somewhere that it was spurs and Liverpool but can’t remember where I read it or if there was any truth in it. (Or if I imagined it 🙂 )
A Geordie Mongrel
Nov 16, 2023 at 5:17 PM
Comment #38Wynsleap, we can’t quickly get rid of the 14 players you list. Such a fire sale would devastate the team and team spirit. Not to mention what are we using for money to fund all of the replacements? I much prefer our current evolution. It will take longer but we will be stronger for it.
I also think we haven’t heard the last of the Tonali saga especially as a second Milan player has been charged. I can’t remember seeing any kind of contrition from Tonali which is disappointing.
Hibbit
Nov 16, 2023 at 5:17 PM
Comment #39Bill as a human being Hayden is a great guy, but as PL player i’m afraid his time is up,
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 16, 2023 at 5:28 PM
Comment #40Last 😀