Under the stewardship of PIF, Newcastle United have transformed from perennial underachievers into serious contenders on the pitch.

A Carabao Cup win and Champions League qualification completes a dream season – and matters away from the field may help take us to the next level.

For months now, speculation has swirled around the next step in our rise: the future of St James’ Park. An announcement was expected to be made already this year leaving fans desperate for news on whether we will expand or relocate.

A decision is coming, but initial hopes that we may hear something by the end of this month now seems to have been premature. When the club does speak, substantial news that will help us push towards joining the very elite of European football is expected.

Newcastle on the rise under PIF

According to a detailed piece by Mark Douglas for The i Paper, Newcastle United’s value has soared under PIF’s ownership. Forbes’ latest ranking places Newcastle as the 19th most valuable football club in the world, with an estimated worth of £817 million. 

To put that in perspective, that’s more than double the £350 million price the PIF-led consortium paid Mike Ashley to buy the club in 2021. Even more impressively, Newcastle’s valuation grew by 38% in the last year alone – the fastest growth of any club in Europe.

Forbes analyst Justin Teitelbaum suggests that if a new stadium materialises, Newcastle would soon join the Premier League’s elite group of clubs valued at over £1 billion, rubbing shoulders with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City.

New stadium announcement pushed back?

While internal discussions have been ongoing for months, the announcement regarding the stadium’s future has now been pushed back once again, it seems.

In Douglas’ piece, he reveals that an internal target to reveal plans by the end of this month seems increasingly unlikely. 

Sources indicate that no final decision has been made yet and PIF’s meticulous approach to investment means we may not hear anything until later this year – potentially not even before the new season kicks off.

When the decision is eventually made public, it’s expected to be thorough and detailed, far beyond the internal presentations that circulated within the club earlier this year. It’s understood that while options to redevelop St James’ Park have been seriously explored, the preferred option is now to move to a new stadium at nearby Leazes Park – a move that could open up transformational revenue streams.