As revealed by The Telegraph, Toon chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has been on Tyneside to oversee a series of progress reports to plan the next phase of the club’s development under the Saudi PIF.
Luke Edwards reports that the Saudi chief has taken a keen interest in all areas of Newcastle United and is eager to find out what has gone well and what needs more support to make the club a ‘consistence force’, not only in England but in Europe.
During a visit for last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, Al-Rumayyan is believed to have asked Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth what is needed to take the club to the next level, also finding out what’s been achieved – both on and off the field – over the first 18 months under new ownership.
The Telegraph add that the PIF governor is ‘delighted’ by the rapid progress made by Howe and the team this season, with a top four finish still a real possibility alongside Sunday’s trip to Wembley for our first major final in 24 years.
It is not yet clear if he’ll attend the Carabao Cup final, however the piece does highlight that some meetings over the past week centred around our summer transfer budget and eagerly awaited sponsorship deals; which are ‘expected soon’ in what could be a huge boost to our spending.
Although the day-to-day running of the club is generally left to Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, Jamie Reuben, Dan Ashworth and Darren Eales, it’s good to see our chairman and key decision-maker back on the scene ahead of what promises to be a huge week and massive few months for Newcastle.
