‘Newcastle stars including Isak have lost faith in Saudi project after broken promises’
Alexander Isak is among a number of Newcastle players who are beginning to doubt the club’s owners, PIF, and one of their main projects that they are yet to deliver on.
The morale at St James’ Park seems to be lowering with each passing week that Newcastle struggle to make their mark in this summer’s transfer window.
Positivity was rife on Tyneside following the Magpies’ Champions League qualification at the end of 2024/25, but that has now dissipated massively, especially with star striker Isak wanting to leave Newcastle for pastures new ahead of the new campaign.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) took over at St James’ Park in 2021, and while things have clearly gone well with them at the helm up to now, their success is in danger of being overshadowed by this summer’s shortcomings.
Football Insider revealed on Monday (28 July) that PIF feel that Eddie Howe is partly to blame for their poor window, which has seen the Magpies miss out on numerous targets like Bryan Mbeumo, Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro, but new developments have now cast the owners’ reputation into doubt, rather than the former Bournemouth boss.
Newcastle players have doubts over new training ground project
PIF’s big spending since they took over at Newcastle has not only been limited to their playing squad, after the Sun reported in January that the Saudi owners are set to hire architects to design a “state-of-the-art base for both their senior and youth teams” to train at each day.
Newcastle’s plans have clearly been shelved for now, however, after the club revealed in April that they are set to begin work on redeveloping their current training ground, which is expected to be completed next summer [Newcastle].
As a result, problems with their existing players do not only extend to Isak, with the Mail (29 July) claiming that “several” Magpies players, including the Swede, are doubting the training ground project and the delivery of it from the board, after their plans were reportedly presented to new signings as part of the club’s ambitious project.
There is clearly a theme of disconnect building between the owners and players too, as the Mail state that Newcastle’s players were “surprised” that none of the members of the board visited them at the training ground after their historic Carabao Cup triumph in March.
Howe could quit after Newcastle’s dismal summer
Football Insider verdict
Newcastle have suffered blow after blow throughout this summer window, with a number of their key targets not joining the club, while they also look set to miss out on a back-up target too after Brentford insisted that Yoane Wissa is not for sale.
Howe has guided the Magpies to some hugely successful seasons since his arrival, but he may feel that time is up for him at St James’ Park given their recent setbacks, that is, if PIF do not sack him before he potentially walks.
| Games managed | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points per game |
| 173 | 91 | 33 | 49 | 1.77 |
Football finance expert Dan Plumley recently told Football Insider that Newcastle are still in a “tricky spot” regarding finances, and as well as Wissa, they could also miss out on another target with Benjamin Sesko now having to choose between a move to the north-east or Manchester United.
Howe is said to have been “blind-sided” by news that Isak wants to leave the club, with PIF surprisingly getting involved in the situation rather than leaving him to deal with it, so all is clearly not well at the top regarding his status as boss.
This new blow is obviously more centered around the owners than him, but it is another development that is sure to unsettle his key players after being made public, and could culminate in him leaving soon.