Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed why Newcastle United are going to find it a lot harder to discuss transfer deals with Saudi Pro League teams than people think amid links to Ruben Neves.
Premier League teams were unhappy with the rumours linking Newcastle with Al Hilal’s Ruben Neves because the two teams share the same ownership.
Speaking on NUFC Matters, however, Ben Jacobs has revealed that Newcastle will find it tough to deal with Saudi Arabian teams because of how PIF wants to grow the league.
Newcastle won’t find it easy to negotiate with PIF clubs
There’s a broad belief that Newcastle have an unfair advantage in the Premier League because of their shared ownership with four Saudi Pro League clubs, which is why a vote was proposed to ban related-party deals to stop Neves from joining the Magpies.
However, it’s not as black and white as some people think as PIF, who own Newcastle, also want to grow their domestic division and they can’t do that without the best players.
Neves joined Al Hilal in the summer from Wolves and had been linked with an immediate move back to the Premier League, but that would look like a huge failure for the Saudi teams.
As Jacobs explains, the aim of PIF is to grow Newcastle, of course, but they also want to make the Saudi Pro League the biggest league in the world, and sending back a star player just six months after joining sets a ‘bad precedent’.
On NUFC Matters, Jacobs said: “People wrongly assume that it’s an easier negotiation for Newcastle to do business with Al Hilal because it’s PIF talking to PIF, but it’s also PIF talking to the Ministry of Sport.
“If Newcastle want Neves and the Saudi Pro League dealmakers feel that him leaving at this point is bad, optics wise, for the league then there’s only going to be one winner in that conversation and it’s not Newcastle.
“It’s a much harder negotiation for Newcastle to do business with Al Hilal specifically for Neves because the PIF people on behalf of Al Hila don’t want the player to go.
“If you set that precedent that a player can go to Al Hila and return after half a season then broadly that sets a bad precedent for the Saudi Pro League that they’re trying to avoid.”
Newcastle now have to look for Neves alternatives
Newcastle’s midfield has been seriously depleted this season which is exactly why they had identified Neves as a potential January target.
Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock have had to deal with injuries that have kept them out of huge games while summer signing Sandro Tonali won’t be available until August due to his gambling suspension.
Newcastle understand that signing the likes of Neves or others from Saudi Arabian clubs is going to be harder than people first thought, so it’s likely they’ll have some alternatives lined up for next month.
With Neves practically ruled out, a move for Kalvin Phillips, who has been linked since last summer, may start to move quicker as we approach the window.
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