Since October 2021, when Newcastle were bought out by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Middle Eastern country's financial contribution to worldwide sporting projects has exploded.
PIF's acquisition of the Premier League club was met with criticism by English football's media apparatus, accused of attempting to 'sportswash' the Kingdom's human rights record, which included the killing of Saudi-critical journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the country's Istanbul embassy back in 2018.
Newcastle supporters are under no illusions; the Kingdom has bigger issues and grander projects to oversee than a football team in the north-east of England, even if there are plans to build a new, state-of-the-art stadium close to the current St. James' Park site.
Newcastle United 'may no longer be apple of Saudi eye'
Nevertheless, there is a growing feeling amongst fans of the club that the project at St. James' Park is being overlooked - and it isn't hard to see why.
On the eve of the new season, with Champions League football to look forward to, Newcastle are without a chief executive, sporting director and potentially still to come, their star playing asset.
While off-field matters and executive churn can be papered over by the team's performances on the pitch, Newcastle knew of outgoing CEO Darren Eales' intention to step down for health reasons 10 months ago.
Not to mention, the focus at this time of year is transfers for which experienced and business-savvy negotiators are essential.
It is difficult to pin Newcastle's failings in the summer transfer market exclusively on their understaffed recruitment and boardroom setup, after all the players they've missed out on have gone on to sign for so-called 'bigger' clubs whose wage structure exceeds Newcastle's current payscale, but it certainly can't have helped.
As a result, Newcastle have endured a 'challenging' window, according to head coach Eddie Howe, for whom a better description may be chief of staff given the absence of senior figures to carry the can.
Saudi Arabia's attempt to be recognised on the global sporting scene did not begin with Newcastle but it has accelerated since their purchase of the north-east club almost four years ago.
A Saudi presence in sport is more visible than ever before, aided by the Kingdom's boundless wealth, whilst cosying up to figures who wield considerable power in various sporting arenas, such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Saudi Arabia were successful in their bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, if you can believe it, crowbarred PIF-backed LIV Golf tour into the sporting calendar and have signed long-running commercial agreements with Formula One and Formula E. This is in addition to the Gulf state's non-sport projects, which includes the ambitious construction of futuristic city NEOM, to the tune of half a trillion dollars.
The country's 'Vision 2030' mega-project is intent on diversifying the Kingdom's economy and their existing reliance on oil exportation, with PIF responsible for funding giga-scale real estate, tourism and infrastructure projects.
Saudi also have deals within the professional boxing, tennis, wrestling, eSports and sports broadcasting worlds. Most recently, PIF secured the global rights to show the FIFA Club World Cup on DAZN for one billion dollars, despite other major broadcasters showing lukewarm interest in the competition.
The emergence of the Saudi Pro League as a viable destination for players of all ages in western leagues is, for some Newcastle supporters, in direct conflict with the club's own ambitions.
In June 2023, PIF bought controlling stakes in four of the Saudi Pro League's biggest clubs, including Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, and Al-Hilal.
The latter defeated Manchester City at the Club World Cup this summer and look set to sign Darwin Nunez from Liverpool, which would in turn finance an improved bid for Reds target Alexander Isak.
A cynic, or a Sunderland fan intent on taunting his or her neighbour, might suggest Newcastle are no longer the apple of Saudi Arabia's eye.
They might even add that PIF have been successful in using the club's standing as member of the most-watched and most popular football league in the world to launder the Kingdom's reputation.
Saudi's reach does mean Newcastle are able to appoint leading candidates to executive functions within the club and there is every expectation the aforementioned vacancies will be filled promptly, but the sense that this is all after the fact is a palpable one.
Had the club's hierarchy been proactive in keeping star striker Isak content with his earnings at St. James' Park, Howe may not have found himself instructing a prized asset to train alone.
There were Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) considerations to take into account, that much is true, but the situation Newcastle currently find themselves in rarely occurs through chance or bad luck.
For all of Saudi Arabia's expertise in foreign policy and governance, it is one of their most visible projects, where crucially they cannot control or censor dissent, that risks turning mutinous.
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