One of the major successes of the PIF era at Newcastle United has been their recruitment.
Thanks to the signings made since the takeover in October 2021, Newcastle have gone from battling relegation to playing in the Champions League.
Clearly, it’s not as easy as simply throwing money at players.
While it would be pointless to suggest PIF’s millions haven’t helped, the travails of the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea prove that merely having money to burn isn’t a guarantee of success.
The players Newcastle have signed in their new era have largely hit the ground running and journalist Ben Jacobs has provided some insight into what PIF have looked for during their recruitment process.
Ben Jacobs says PIF have been against release clauses so far
Indeed, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs shared that PIF have been against release clauses when it comes to buying players.
That, however, could change when trying to secure Bruno Guimaraes’ long-term future.
“Newcastle have always been against release clauses,” he said.
“I don’t think they’ve had one in any contract since PIF took charge. I don’t think they’ve needed one. So, it’s quite an interesting dynamic, the release clause.
“PIF want to go against what they would usually do and have a release clause [for Guimaraes].”
Smart thinking from PIF
No matter how well Newcastle are backed, release clauses leave a club open. Even Barcelona in their pomp fell victim to one when Neymar left for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017.
The club have been on an upward trajectory for a while now but there are still teams who can offer a much more immediate guarantee of challenging for trophies or regular Champions League qualification, given Newcastle are still at a relatively early stage of their new project.
With that in mind, safeguarding against those clubs getting a run at Newcastle’s top players seems wise.
Though it may be a necessary evil to keep Guimaraes, it’s a smart policy.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
