Newcastle owners PIF want £260m business deal that could produce the next

The owners, who bought the club for £305m in October 2021, command assets of over £700bn and have made football a key target market as they seek to diversify away from fossil fuels ahead of 2030.

Because they are not subject to the same Profit and Sustainability (PSR) restrictions as Newcastle in the Premier League, PIF has since made significant investments in the Saudi Pro League.

Saudi Arabia have also effectively won the rights to host the 2030 World Cup given that there are no other bidders in the process.

However, while Saudi’s ambitions are global in nature, PIF chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan remains intently focused on European football.

And the group’s latest ambition could have a profound positive impact on Newcastle, the jewel in their sports portfolio crown.

The historic French club, who are valued at around £260m, are currently owned by Russian multi-billionaire oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev.

A huge component of the club’s value comes from their youth production line, which has produced the likes of Kylian Mbappe as well as hundreds of millions of pounds of talent in recent years.

However, it is claimed that the interested Saudi Arabian group’s financial links to the Public Investment Fund could be a barrier.

UEFA’s rules do not disqualify owners from having stakes in more than one club.

But the governing body are clamping down on the model and will not allow two clubs from the same network to play in the same European competition simultaneously from 2025-26.