‘Very serious’ - Major St James’ Park update as Newcastle United chiefs jet to Saudi Arabia

Stadium talk has cooled - at least on social media - has cooled since football returned after the international break. However, what the Magpies do with the iconic venue remains the hottest and most controversial topic on Tyneside.

Brad Miller, appointed the club’s Chief Operating Officer in the summer, promised a “once-in-a-generation” investment earlier this month. Many took his comments as a precursor to a confirmed rebuild - but the club are not set to unveil final plans until early next year.

"We know what a transformed St James' Park would give us and we now have a significant amount of data and feedback on our stadium footprint and surrounding area, so we are several steps forward,” Miller said on October 3. “But it is also clear that this option has several risks associated with it, so we need to fully analyse those risks against the opportunities to reach truly informed and intelligent outcomes.

“We are challenging our appointed design team, and ourselves, to make sure our eventual chosen route delivers a fantastic fan experience - one that represents the fans, city, region and club, and aligns with the long-term ambitions of our ownership group. It must provide an investable return, and not least deliver strong revenue growth to increase our PSR headroom, which, as everyone knows, means we can invest more in football.”

The Daily Mail now claim Toon chiefs held recent talks in Riyadh as they mull over the St James’ Park decision. Anyone who comes within “earshot” of the stadium plans is being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements to keep the proposals under wraps.

That includes members of the Fan Advisory Board that was introduced last year. Further consultations are expected between fans, architects and local authorities before the ultimate announcement.