Newcastle United up for sale? Nonsense PIF claim emerges amid £200m investment
The Public Investment Fund remain fully committed five years into the Newcastle United project.
Football financial expert Stefan Borson has suggested “the signs are there” that the Public Investment will sell Newcastle United.
In a bizarre unverified claim, Borson cited matchday tickets being unsold against Everton as concerning. The reality is that St James’ Park attracted 52,279 fans - a sell-out crowd.
He also pointed towards PIF withdrawing funding from the failed LIV Golf experiment. However, the two are not comparable, with the venture into golf haemorrhaging around $5 billion.
NewcastleWorld understand that PIF remain fully committed on Tyneside for the long term. Plans for a new state-of-the-art £200million training complex in Woolsington was also a clear signal that the Saudi backers are going nowhere.
Bizarre Stefan Borson claim
Speaking to Football Insider, monetary guru Borson wildly teased that PIF could sell Newcastle. He said: "It's another expensive deal, isn't it? So it's going to be over £1billion. It's another club that's certainly not got a guarantee of Champions League.
“It's another expensive deal, isn't it?” he said. “So it's going to be over £1billion. It's another club that's certainly not got a guarantee of Champions League.
"You could buy tickets on the day, which is not a good sign. It could be the start of a trickier time at the club. And you can't ignore the LIV Golf situation and PIF's change of direction on sport. The signs are there.
“Now, I don't think that necessarily means that they're looking for a sellout right now. But I do think it will lead to probably a more prudent period of investment, a more careful, new strategy."
David Hopkinson on PIF commitment
Newcastle CEO Hopkinson reaffirmed PIF’s ambition earlier this year. He said: "You're talking about a fund where, the last time I looked, it had £1.2trillion of investments. This is a major, major global player.
“But I truly believe in my heart of hearts that we are their favourite investment. I think we take up so much of their shared mind and heart, way more than would be warranted given the size of the investment.
"I feel like we're a special investment to them. I feel that, not because they tell me that, but because they show me that. I'm talking to the PIF every single day. The question about PIF is a good one - it was one of my questions during the recruitment.
“There's always different types of ownership - some are deeply connected, at every single match, every single day, others are much more hands off and just see it as an investment. This group at the PIF is very much in the former camp. It's every single day."