Saudi Arabia PIF buying Newcastle United fans trophies vs The Truth | OneFootball

Just a case of the Saudi Arabia PIF buying Newcastle United fans trophies…

This is the very predictable reaction from many of our enemies, whether in the media or rival fanbases. Brought into sharp focus and topical, with that magnificent performance and victory at Wembley on Sunday.

Is it the truth?

Or is the reality something different?

Here are a few things to consider in the debate of Saudi Arabia PIF simply ‘buying’ Newcastle United fans trophies vs The truth.

They are called FACTS!

Total investment by the Newcastle United owners (Saudi Arabia PIF and the Reuben family) so far

The current owners paid £305m to Mike Ashley and then have invested a further £352.9m these past 41 months to help try and repair the damage of a decade and a half of Ashley.

Buying players vs ‘Big Six’

The ‘Big Six’ had massive advantages over Newcastle United when the takeover happened in October 2021, including of course, far stronger squads.

Since the takeover, those ‘Big Six’ have all then further spent far more money than Newcastle United on new players these last seven transfer windows.

Some of them ridiculously more, including Chelsea who have spent over £1.5billion in just the last six transfer windows (In Newcastle United’s last six transfer windows, €401m (£337m) has been spent – Figures via Transfermarkt).

Buying players and Newcastle United vs other clubs

Comparing spending in recent transfer windows to Villa, Brighton, West Ham and Forest (With all figures from Transfermarkt in Euros).

The past four seasons (2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25) have seen spending on new players of Newcastle United €531m, Aston Villa €568m and West Ham €540m.

Whilst in the past three seasons (2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25) it has been spending on new players from Newcastle United of €401m, Nottingham Forest €431m and Brighton €437m.

Last three transfer windows and new faces brought in

Not a single new first team contender has arrived at Newcastle United in the last three transfer windows, the only new faces have been a few squad players. Summer 2023 was the last transfer window when any NUFC first team contenders were signed.

Ten players inherited from Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley amongst the Eddie Howe 20 man Newcastle United matchday squad at the Carabao Cup Final:

Schar, Joelinton, Willock, Wilson, Murphy, Krafth, Dubravka, Longstaff, Miley, Neave

Six players inherited from Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley amongst the fourteen who got on the pitch for Newcastle United at Wembley:

Schar, Joelinton, Willock, Wilson, Murphy, Krafth

Five lifelong Newcastle United fans in the matchday squad for the Carabao Cup Final (One of them scored the opening goal and was man of the match, another got an assist for the winner):

Burn, Murphy, Longstaff, Miley, Neave

FINAL CONCLUSION

The reality is that Eddie Howe has overachieved massively against the odds.

Yes, the Newcastle United owners have injected extra cash, but that is what any new owners of a failing business have to do, after 15 years of a football club/business that has been left to rot, starved of any proper investment in those dismal years, whilst the owner did the exact opposite of investing in his business. Mike Ashley used Newcastle United to make himself and his other businesses richer, to the detriment of NUFC, on and off the pitch.

It is Eddie Howe and the players who he has inspired, who have made the difference at Newcastle United. The NUFC owners have done nothing out of the ordinary in terms of helping their asset/business/football club to survive and then try to be competitive, the Saudi Arabia PIF and Reuben family doing nothing more or different than the owners of clubs such as Brighton, Forest and Villa, amongst others.