Finance guru: Newcastle United have set sights higher than Man City as PIF’s global plan revealed
Newcastle United are looking to launch a multi-club model on a grander scale than Man City’s parent organisation City Football Group.
That is the view of finance guru Doctor Dan Plumley speaking exclusively to Football Insider about PIF’s business aspirations in sport.
The Saudi owners want a global multi-club presence in both football and the wider sporting world, according to iNews yesterday (27 March).
They were linked with a takeover of Italian giants Inter Milan shortly after they bought Newcastle in a £305million deal in October last year.
The sovereign wealth fund were also reported to be interested in Ligue 1 outfit Marseille prior to the confirmation of the Newcastle buyout.
City Football Group now have 11 clubs after their takeover of Dutch side NAC Breda last week.
But Plumley expects PIF to set their sights higher than their Manchester rivals when it comes to launching their multi-club empire.
“There have been a couple of other deals mooted,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“It’s bigger than profit maximisation for PIF. There is a lot going on with Saudi Arabia’s investment in sport as a whole.
“It’s no surprise to see them going down the multi-club ownership route. It seems the logical way to expand their network.
“It’s different to the Man City model because we’ve seen them linked with Inter Milan and Marseille.
“City haven’t gone that high with their targets. They have tended to go for lower league sides and built them up all around the world.
“Newcastle’s ambitions are on a different scale.”
Newcastle are currently 14th in the Premier League, while City are 1st.
City Football Group posted a £71million loss in their last set of accounts.
In other news, pundit suggests Callum Wilson playing for his Newcastle United future after source’s update.