Newcastle United were taken over by Saudi Arabia’s PIF in October 2021 and it’s been a rollercoaster ride ever since.
PIF were working to buy Newcastle United for at least 18 months and found many stumbling blocks in their way before the deal with Mike Ashley was finally concluded.
In the nearly four years since, Newcastle have completely transformed from relegation strugglers to trophy winners and Champions League competitors.
Here’s the timeline of the biggest events to happen at Newcastle since the owners finally got their hands on the club.
October 2021 – Takeover completed
PIF attempted to buy Newcastle in 2020 but their consortium’s bid collapsed in August when they would not agree to arbitration with the Premier League to determine who would actually own the club.
The decision was met with outrage and disbelief from supporters but 14 months later there were parties in the streets of the city.
On October 7, 2021, the £305m purchase of the club from Ashley was finally completed after the Premier League approved the deal, thanks to ‘legally binding assurances’ that the Saudi state would not control the club.
Per the deal, PIF owned 80% of Newcastle United, with the other 20% split evenly between Amanda Staveley and the Reuben Brothers.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan was appointed as chairman, while Staveley and Jamie Reuben became directors.
October 2021 – Steve Bruce sacked
It didn’t take long for PIF to start making their presence felt and on October 20, Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties ‘by mutual consent’.
Bruce took charge of the Magpies’ first game of the PIF era, with his side losing 3-2 to Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park. Three days later he was out the door.
In a statement, Newcastle said: “Newcastle United can confirm that Steve Bruce has left his position as head coach by mutual consent
“He leaves the Magpies after more than two years in charge, having steered the club to 13th and 12th-place finishes in the Premier League and reaching the quarter-final stage in both the Emirates FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his tenure.
“Newcastle United would like to place on record its gratitude to Steve for his contribution and wishes him well for the future.”
November 2021 – Eddie Howe hired
PIF moved to replace Bruce, with Unai Emery their top target. However, he rejected their offer and the Magpies turned to Eddie Howe. On November 8, Howe was confirmed as the new manager.
Upon the announcement, Howe said: “It is a great honour to become head coach of a club with the stature and history of Newcastle United. It is a very proud day for me and my family.
“This is a wonderful opportunity, but there is also a lot of work ahead of us and I am eager to get onto the training ground to start working with the players.
“I would like to thank the club’s owners for this opportunity and thank the club’s supporters for the incredible welcome they have already given me. I am very excited to begin our journey together.”
It’s proven to be an astute hire from Newcastle, with Howe taking the side to a level they haven’t reached since 2003.
January 2022 – First transfer window
Excitement was high as the first transfer window under PIF’s ownership approached and there was wild speculation linking Newcastle with some of football’s biggest names.
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar obviously didn’t arrive but Newcastle still spent £91.65m on new players. The five new recruits were:
- Bruno Guimaraes – Lyon – £41.65m
- Chris Wood – Burnley – £25m
- Dan Burn – Brighton – £13m
- Kieran Trippier – Atletico Madrid – £12m
- Matt Targett – Aston Villa – Loan
June 2022 – Dan Ashworth leaves Brighton for Newcastle
New sporting director Dan Ashworth officially joined the club on June 6.
“Newcastle United is an incredible football club and I’m delighted to be joining at this very exciting time,” he said.
“Each time I’ve been to St. James’ Park in the past, I have been reminded of the club’s long history and the unrivalled passion of its fan base.
“It is a huge football club with great potential, and I am incredibly positive about what we can collectively achieve.
“I’m excited to start work immediately and look forward to being part of a team that is helping the club to grow and achieve long-term success.”
July 2022 – Darren Eales named as Newcastle CEO
Hot on the heels of Ashworth’s arrival, PIF made another key executive appointment when they hired Darren Eales as CEO on July 15.
Eales left MLS side Atlanta United and had previously worked with Ashworth at West Brom.
August 2022 – Newcastle smash transfer record by signing Alexander Isak
After their first cash injection in January, Newcastle showed off their new financial might much more significantly in the summer transfer window.
Newcastle smashed their transfer record by spending £63m on Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad, a move that has proven to be worth every penny.
Over £50m was also spent on Sven Botman, Nick Pope and Matt Targett in the same window.
May 2023 – Champions League football secured
The crucial milestone of reaching the Champions League was achieved ahead of schedule in May 2023, two decades on from the last time the Magpies qualified for Europe’s top competition.
A 0-0 draw with Leicester City on May 22, 2023, secured their top-four finish with one game remaining ahead of Liverpool.
Sadly, Newcastle struggled in their Champions League campaign, finishing bottom of a group containing Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, even if there was a memorable win over PSG.
June 2024 – PSR debacle leads to sales of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh
After heavy spending during their first 18 months at the helm, PIF were forced to rein in their pursuit of big signings in 2024.
PSR rules extremely limited Newcastle’s spending and, despite the club’s newfound riches, they were unable to spend it.
Newcastle came perilously close to breaking the rules, which would have resulted in a points deduction.
As a result, they were forced to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh, which they didn’t want to do, in order to balance the books and remain within the rules.
It went down to the wire but Newcastle got the job done. It might have been stinging to lose two talented players but it proved to be the correct course of action.
July 2024 – Dan Ashworth departs for Manchester United, Paul Mitchell is hired as his replacement, Amanda Staveley leaves
July 2024 was a hectic month for Newcastle.
After being placed on gardening leave back in February following Manchester United’s approach, Ashworth finally made the switch to Old Trafford on July 1.
Ashworth’s responsibilities, as outlined by the club upon his arrival, were to lead overarching sporting strategy, football development and recruitment at all age levels. Though he left under a cloud, he was a resounding success on all fronts.
He would last just five months at Man Utd, however, before leaving in December.
On July 4, Paul Mitchell was announced the club’s new sporting director.
Staveley had been the public face of the Newcastle takeover since before day one. She was a director and helped in the day-to-day running of the club before Eales was hired, playing a role in hiring Howe.
After three years at the club and with her role having been reduced, Staveley departed on July 10, 2024. Her shares were sold to PIF and the Reuben Brothers, who increased their stake in the club.
March 2025 – Carabao Cup triumph
Newcastle won their first domestic trophy in 70 years and their first of any kind since 1969 when they won the Carabao Cup.
Howe’s side defeated Premier League champions-elect Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley thanks to iconic goals from Burn and Isak.
The celebrations that followed were wild and hopefully it’s the first of many trophies to come.
May 2025 – Return to the Champions League
Newcastle secured their qualification for the 2025-26 Champions League campaign on the final day of the Premier League season.
It was what the side deserved after a great year, even if they tripped at the final hurdle as they lost at home to Everton.
That could have proven disastrous but Aston Villa were controversially defeated by Manchester United, meaning the Magpies still finished fifth and sealed their spot in Europe’s top competition.
June 2025 – Paul Mitchell departs the club
After less than a year at the club and without making any major first-team signings, Mitchell left his role in June.
Newcastle had announced his impending exit in May – with his departure coinciding with Eales being set to end his time as the club’s CEO – due to health reasons.
Mitchell said: “I’d like to thank everyone at Newcastle United for their support over the last year, including Eddie Howe, Becky Langley, the players, staff, owners and fans. It has been an honour to be part of the club and to work with some incredible people.
“I’m leaving at a time that is right for me and the club, particularly with Darren Eales – someone who I have worked so closely with in my career – moving on soon.
“The club is in great hands on and off the pitch, and is in a fantastic position to continue building.
“I’d like to wish everyone connected with Newcastle United a bright and successful future.”
August 2025 – Nick Woltemade becomes new record signing
Without a sporting director in place to take a lead on recruitment, Newcastle struggled in the 2025 transfer window.
Newcastle missed out on several of Howe’s top targets, as savvier Premier League rivals beat them to the signings of Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro, Bryan Mbuemo, Benjamin Sesko, James Trafford and more.
The Magpies eventually got their act together to make five major permanent signings, spending the most in a single transfer window in the club’s history.
Nick Woltemade was the statement signing, with the giant German becoming the club’s most expensive transfer ever at £69m.
September 2025 – Alexander Isak seals £125m Liverpool transfer, David Hopkinson becomes new CEO
Not only did Newcastle have to deal with missed targets during the summer, but the miserable Alexander Isak saga as well.
Almost out of nowhere, the striker decided to stop playing for the club in a bid to force through a move to Liverpool. Newcastle remained firm that he wouldn’t be sold unless a £150m price tag was met all the way until the closing stages of the transfer window.
Their resolve finally caved on deadline day, when they sold Isak for a British transfer record of £125m.
Three days afterwards, on September 4, David Hopkinson was announced as the club’s new CEO to replace Eales, who stepped down due to health reasons.
October 2025 – Ross Wilson is hired as new sporting director
After going the entire transfer window without a sporting director, Newcastle finally found their Mitchell replacement on October 11.
Ross Wilson was brought in from Nottingham Forest, with Scot renowned for his transfer pedigree and hard-nosed negotiating, as Newcastle know through the Elliot Anderson and Anthony Elanga deals.
Wilson signed 43 players during his time at Forest, many of whom were crucial in the club’s best season in decades, and has already stated how he wants to work alongside Howe, putting him in a stronger position than Mitchell immediately.
There are bound to be more seismic events to come.
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