Saudi takeover three years on - Newcastle United still face £33m transfer problem
Newcastle United were taken over 1,095 days ago and have failed to address a key transfer priority: buying a right-winger.
St James’ Park was a sea of black, white and, some may say controversially, Saudi Arabian green. Fans of all ages consumed copious amounts of lager in good spirits after their club was liberated from 14 apathetic years.
The saga itself was as Newcastle United as possible. A football club built on near misses and oh-so-nears, the £300million lottery-winning takeover looked like another missed opportunity.
Fans were caught up in legal battles, geopolitics and piracy issues as the pandemic-stricken world ground to a halt. With nothing else to do, the Saudi-backed takeover was front and centre of Toon fans’ minds.
An 18-month struggle came to a head on October 7, 2021, a date now etched in the club’s history as the watershed moment. Well, at least it should be, if the Public Investment Fund fulfil their ambition to turn Newcastle into a global powerhouse.
Huge strides have been taken on and off the field in three years. Revenues have increased by 39 per cent, with Adidas and Sela now on board as commercial partners. That figure will likely increase again when the club release the figures for the 2023-24 campaign in January.
Carabao Cup finals and a Champions League campaign gave supporters tangible evidence that Newcastle are moving in the right direction. But FFP/PSR limitations were not truly foreseen, with the Magpies plateauing over the summer window.
Being unable to splash the cash like Chelsea or Manchester City did has frustrated all quarters at St James’ Park. A more measured approach has received praise but also forced a realignment of Newcastle’s long-term goals.
Those swigging Stella Artois next to Sir Bobby Robson’s statue three years ago joked about Kylian Mbappe in black and white but the financial rules soon tempered expectations. At the weekend, Newcastle’s firepower at Everton bore a reality of where the Saudi project sits - and the problems it has faced - 1,095 days on.
Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy were United’s right-wing options - a fact that has remained since January 2019. Few could have guessed either player to be here three years down the line but, to their credit, improved greatly after the takeover.
But are either capable of taking Newcastle to the promised land. The answer, and there are 397 video tapes of previous performances to back this up, is no.
When Howe looked across the dugout to win the game, only Almiron and William Osula carried an attacking threat. That is not good enough for a Champions League outfit.
Admittedly, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson are top-drawer but both are number nines. What Newcastle lack is a right-sided attacker, akin to Anthony Gordon but on the opposite flank, who can terrorise Premier League defences.
They are a blunt instrument without one. Bryan Mbeumo, perhaps? He would certainly fit the bill, helping to re-energise a frontline - and takeover - in need of a minor reboot.