Newcastle United owners eyeing £60m stakes in Premiership rugby clubs- including Falcons

Newcastle United's owners are reportedly in talks to invest in four Premiership rugby clubs in a deal which could see them increase their stake in the UK sporting scene.

As reported in The Telegraph, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) is claimed to be having discussions with top-flight sides Gloucester, Leicester Tigers, Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints in a deal that could be worth £60m for the clubs involved.

It's believed PIF are looking to pour money into the clubs and take control of its stadium naming rights- as well as set up a rugby academy in the Middle East.

Initially, the wealth fund targeted only Gloucester, but the club alone was not seen to be an attractive investment as it wanted a bigger deal.

So Newcastle, Leicester and Northampton are thought to have been brought into negotiations as they are amongst the best supported clubs.

Talks are reported to have slowed recently, however one of the four clubs is claimed to have made contact with PIF in order to secure investment even if the joint deal goes under.

PIF owns 80% of Newcastle United and the club has seen major investment since the takeover in 2021. It could be a lucrative step for the league after it lost three clubs to bankruptcy last year.

If PIF were to buy a stake in Newcastle Falcons, two of Newcastle upon Tyne's major sports teams would be owned by the wealth fund. However, it's currently unknown how big of a stake it is after.