Amid the jungle of super-skyscrapers dominating Riyadh's monetary district, one constructing soars above the remainder. From the upper flooring of the 385-metre PIF Tower, workers can plot their subsequent deal whereas gazing down on a glass-curtained cover of concrete, metal and polished marble.
For Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Funding Fund (PIF) and the chair of Newcastle United, the highest of this putting, 80-storey crystalline construction is a spot the place metaphorical blue-sky pondering meets actuality.
The dangerous information for Eddie Howe is that the enterprise case for promoting Alexander Isak to Liverpool this summer season is definitely far too persuasive for Rumayyan and his colleagues to disregard.
In a super world Newcastle's supervisor would preserve the Sweden centre-forward whereas buying the France Beneath-21 striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt earlier than a Champions League marketing campaign. Provided that Liverpool, like Newcastle, have made contact with Eintracht over Ekitike and appear decided to accumulate the Frenchman or Isak that state of affairs appears unlikely.
The message from Newcastle – and it's stated to originate “proper from the very high” in Riyadh – has persistently been that Isak won't be offered this 12 months. Certainly, the phrase is that Howe needs to deviate from his most popular, winger-heavy 4-3-3 and play Isak and Ekitike in attacking tandem.
However, even earlier than considering the fact that insisting one thing or somebody just isn't on the market at any worth is regularly a precursor to driving a tough discount, that supposed stance begs fairly a number of questions.
At first why, shortly after Howe and membership officers met Isak's agent, did Newcastle all of the sudden flip their consideration from potential £30m replacements for Isak's former understudy Callum Wilson to costlier targets and find yourself providing Eintracht Frankfurt approaching £70m for Ekitike? Was it actually pure coincidence?
And why has there not been any announcement of Isak coming into long-mooted summer season negotiations to increase a contract that runs till 2028? Even when a participant who scored 23 targets in 34 Premier League appearances final season declined to signal, a deal might absolutely be mentioned.
Though Isak is extraordinarily properly paid at about £150,000 per week, talks concerning a deliberate pay improve final summer season had been postponed as Newcastle struggled to remain on the fitting facet of Premier League spending guidelines. A lot improved phrases appear his for the taking now however possibly that second has handed and Isak would reasonably transfer to pastures new.
Newcastle have lengthy suspected that he would decline an extension this summer season, and their authentic plan was to maintain him for another season and promote excessive in 12 months. However Ekitike's wages would nearly actually be barely cheaper and, at simply turned 23, he's nearly three years youthful than Isak. Throw in some stylistic similarities within the pair's video games – for a begin each wish to drift to the left and go well with counterattacking techniques – and the truth that Ekitike is much less damage inclined and the case for doing a take care of Liverpool turns into ever extra persuasive.
Then there's Howe's relationship with Richard Hughes. Newcastle's supervisor and Liverpool's sporting director are good pals, stemming from their days collectively at Bournemouth. Though Liverpool deny making a proper strategy for Isak, the truth that intermediaries have subtly made clear that Arne Slot's board can be ready to pay about £120m for Howe's prize possession suggests they've obtained encouragement, nevertheless tacit, from somebody, someplace.
With Paul Mitchell having stepped down as Newcastle's sporting director this summer season and Darren Eales, the chief government, attributable to depart on well being grounds, Andy Howe, the supervisor's nephew, has a key position in recruitment. It might or will not be important that he additionally is aware of Hughes properly.
after publication promotion
With Darwin Núñez seemingly more likely to be a part of Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal or Napoli, Liverpool's twin curiosity in Isak and Ekitike means it's close to unimaginable to envisage each gamers carrying black and white stripes subsequent season.
Given PIF's gargantuan wealth it would all be very completely different with out profitability and sustainability guidelines (PSR) however these spending rules have arguably made promoting properly much more vital than shopping for cleverly.
Newcastle narrowly prevented a PSR breach final June and, though their monetary place is more healthy, the membership's business income streams nonetheless have some catching as much as do with these of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolis and Arsenal.
With Newcastle having paid Nottingham Forest £55m for the Sweden right-winger Anthony Elanga this summer season, they can't spend large with out promoting neatly. Contemplating Howe wants a right-sided central defender and a goalkeeper – negotiations with Burnley are inching in direction of a £30m-plus deal for James Trafford – along with changing the Leeds-bound Sean Longstaff in midfield, one thing goes to have to provide.
Accordingly if Newcastle can promote Isak for nearly double the near-£65m they paid Actual Sociedad for him it will replicate extraordinarily properly on their PSR stability sheet. The attendant monetary wriggle room would assist fund the acquisition of a central striker as cowl for Ekitike or whoever joins as the primary selection, and possibly even a transfer for Coventry's Jack Rudoni, an attacking midfielder a lot coveted by Howe.
All of it leaves the ball firmly in Eintracht's courtroom. The German membership are famous as robust negotiators and hope for greater than Ekitike's £87m launch clause. Bundesliga strikers haven't all the time fared overly properly within the Premier League however the Frenchman scored 22 targets final season, together with 15 within the league to assist Eintracht qualify for the Champions League. In 2022 he was Newcastle's high attacking goal, forward of even Isak. Howe has twice tried, and failed, to purchase him.
Liverpool possess the pulling energy and monetary clout to tempt Ekitike to play for Slot reasonably than Howe however is Isak the striker Slot actually needs?
One factor is evident. If Newcastle can not signal Ekitike the stack of playing cards collapses and it turns into unimaginable to think about anybody in PIF Tower approving Isak's sale.
