Report: Newcastle chairman Al-Rumayyan planning to thank Howe personally

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Newcastle United are set to head to Saudi Arabia next month, where Eddie Howe will meet club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

With the Premier League going on hiatus, clubs need ensure they maintain their fitness ahead of its return in December.

That means a lot of teams are heading abroad for warm weather training, and Newcastle are no different. The Magpies are set to go to Saudi Arabia for the second time in 2022, having made a similar trip in January.

The landscape has massively changed since then. Back then Newcastle were fighting for their lives as Howe looked to build a team spirit to base their survival mission on. Now we are third in the Premier League and dreaming of Europe.

Newcastle are set for a training camp in Riyadh next month, where they will face Al-Hilal in a friendly. And chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is expected to meet up with the team and deliver a message to Howe.

Al-Rumayyan to thank Howe in Saudi Arabia

According to the Telegraph, the PIF chief is expected to personally thank Howe for the job he has done this season. The chairman hasn’t been seen since August, when he came to watch Newcastle draw 3-3 with Manchester City.

That was the last game he attended, and Howe’s men have been almost flawless ever since. There have been a couple of disappointing results, but Howe’s team have done much better than anticipated.

He certainly deserves the thanks, as the work he has done has been remarkable. To be third in the league after 15 games is truly astonishing – especially when you remember where we were this time last year.

But while Al-Rumayyan plans to thank Howe, he isn’t planning to put his hand in his pocket.

There had been speculation that the club were hoping PIF could be convinced to go big on a transfer and possibly push Newcastle closer towards European football.

However, that will not be happening. The Telegraph add that Newcastle’s next ‘big spend’ is likely going to take place in the summer, with the Magpies not planning to massively splash out in January – unless the right player becomes available.