Saudi PIF in talks with potential investors to fund Newcastle United’s plans, sources say

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF is in talks with investors about taking a minority stake in Newcastle United as part of the Premier League club’s stadium fundraising plans, three people familiar with the matter said.

PIF, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is considering expanding the club’s current stadium or building a new one and could issue new shares to a potential new backer of the plans, one of the people said.

David Hopkinson, CEO of Newcastle United, said this Reuters that the club was considering building a new stadium, even though a renovation would cost hundreds of millions of pounds.

A «new ⁠stadium could cost more than 1 billion pounds ($1.34 ⁠billion),» said Hopkinson, who referred questions about the PIF talks to the Saudi fund itself.

The Saudi PIF declined to comment.

Another option to raise new funds includes a potential securitization of Newcastle’s commercial revenues, the person said, adding that no decision has yet been made on the investment.

The club is also preparing to open a new multi-million pound extension to its training center, which will increase its footprint by more than 50%, Newcastle said last month. The discussions come after PIF said it would stop funding LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season, having injected more than $5 billion into the business since its launch in 2022. The nearly $1 trillion wealth fund, the driving force behind Saudi Arabia’s plan to reduce its dependence on oil revenues, has put sports at the heart of its strategy, with investments in Formula E, boxing, tennis and e-sports. The kingdom is also preparing to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

While PIF has committed to deploying capital internationally, it has reshaped its strategy and is moving away from certain investments, including scaling back so-called giga projects in Saudi Arabia.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said earlier this month that PIF remained as committed as ever to the club’s success.

PIF led a £305 million takeover of Newcastle from British businessman Mike Ashley in 2021. Newcastle have been successful in their first few seasons under Saudi ownership, qualifying for the Champions League twice and winning the League Cup last year.

However, the side have disappeared from the spotlight this season and sit 11th in the Premier League with one game remaining, with no hope of qualifying for next season’s European competitions.

Published on May 18, 2026