PIF to ‘push ahead’ with major move impacting Newcastle United - two years after Amanda Staveley reveal
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Newcastle United latest news: PIF are set to step up their plans for a multi-club ownership model in Europe.
PIF are set to ‘push ahead’ with a multi-club ownership model in Europe - according to reports from the Mail Online.
Currently, Newcastle United are the only European club owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. PIF do have majority stakes in four Saudi Pro League clubs: Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al Ittihad and Al Nassr, but are expected to dilute their shares in those clubs in the coming seasons and to invite private ownership.
Europe, meanwhile, remains a hotbed for not just footballing talent, but where the vast majority of money in football is centred. Multi-club ownership groups have become a much more common sight in football in recent years, with a host of Premier League clubs part of this model.
Blueco’s ownership of both Chelsea and Ligue 1 side Strasbourg has made headlines recently following Liam Rosenior’s move to Stamford Bridge from France. The City Group, which has clubs like Girona FC, Troyes, Melbourne City and New York City alongside Manchester City have also emerged as one of the strongest multi-club ownership models in world football.
Even the owners of Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have other clubs as part of their ownership group. PIF wants a part of that action.
The benefit for Newcastle United, who will act as the crown jewel of any multi-club model, would be access to a greater pool of players and rules that, since Brexit, have made it much more difficult for English clubs to sign foreign players under the age of 18. A club in Europe would be allowed to sign them before they turn 18.
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The Mail report that, as one example of this, Newcastle United had identified AIK striker Kevin Filling as a potential up and coming player. However, because the Swedish Under-18 star doesn’t turn 18 until the end of November, it is expected that he will instead move to a team on the continent this summer.
Having another European club on PIF’s books could help prevent that kind of signing from falling through the cracks.
Amanda Staveley’s multi-club ownership revelation
PIF’s desire to have a multi-club ownership model in Europe is not a new thing, however, with former co-owner Amanda Staveley revealing back in 2024 that it was on their agenda. Speaking at the Bloomberg Power Players' summit, Staveley said: "We very much are [looking at multi-club model]. Multi-club is part of football. It's a real benefit to be able to have players and train players that aren't part of your squad.
"The UEFA rules are changing so we have to see what emerges. The dynamics around whether we could have a club has changed dramatically over the last year.
"I'm still a very big fan of the multi-club model. A lot of other competitors and friends in the Premier League have multi-club relationships, but it has to be considered as a whole.
"We have looked at Belgium, we have looked at a lot of European markets. We have looked in Asia, Australia, Brazil - pretty much everywhere. We have look at every market to see and getting players through our academy system and through that multi-club model would be very helpful in terms of allowing us to buy and have players part of our journey earlier on."