Newcastle United owners – More key announcements now expected | OneFootball

The Newcastle United owners assembled on Tyneside two weeks ago.

The board of directors gathering in Newcastle Upon Tyne ahead of the match against Liverpool.

Chairman of Newcastle United, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, heading up the 85% majority Saudi Arabia PIF contingent.

With Jamie Reuben the lead director representing the minority 15% Reuben family ownership.

It was a second home match in a row where we had seen the Newcastle United owners all gather.

When Newcastle United confirmed their Champions League place, despite defeat to Everton, in May. The Newcastle United owners met Eddie Howe after the match to discuss transfer market plans moving forward.

As we all know, when they reconvened on Tyneside two weeks ago, a well-publicised meeting was held between the Newcastle United owners and Alexander Isak on the Monday ahead of that night’s Liverpool match, trying to convince the striker to stay at NUFC at least for this season.

I had an article published on The Mag last Sunday (31 August 2025) morning, regarding a number of key announcements that were now expected from the Newcastle United owners.

When you looked at the club overall, fair to say that from the outside, it all looked a bit of a shambles inside St James’ Park currently.

Without Eddie Howe holding it all together, where would we be? More pointedly, where would the Newcastle United owners be?

Time for the Newcastle United owners to move the club out of a state of chaos.

Not only that, but to put key things in place to allow the club to properly move forward, to progress, to compete long-term, on and off the pitch.

I named five key announcements that should be expected from the Newcastle United owners and we have now had two of those five materialise.

Alexander Isak

This was a forced announcement, the Newcastle United owners having no choice but to make it.

On deadline day we found out where Isak would be playing his football this 2025/26 season and it isn’t going to be at St James’ Park.

The Newcastle United owners releasing a terse 37 word statement, confirming Alexander Isak had been sold for the highest ever fee paid by a Premier League club. The official announcement pointedly did not include any best wishes, best of luck, to the striker on his departure. That sale of Isak swiftly followed by another official NUFC announcement, revealing the Yoane Wissa signing was completed.

CEO

Twelve months ago, we discovered that Darren Eales was being forced to step down as the NUFC CEO (Chief Executive Officer) due to having been diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer. The announcement in September 2024 stated that in the ‘short-term’ Eales would hold the fort until a replacement was identified.

Unbelievable really just how long the Newcastle United owners went on without having a replacement, whilst it was made quite clear this summer, that Darren Eales was no longer hands-on holding the fort.

Thursday at last seeing David Hopkinson announced as the new CEO appointment by the club’s owners. Not before time.

So what now?

Well, there are three other huge announcements from the Newcastle United owners that are still outstanding. Fans waiting to see what happens AND when.

Sporting Director

Mitchell left at the end of the 2024/25 season but I take it that the Newcastle United owners had known long before the formal announcement, that Paul Mitchell would be leaving.

For Newcastle United to have operated all summer without either a CEO or Sporting Director, was pretty unbelievable. Especially when we all knew what a key period of time this was. A huge season with the added demands of Champions League football, plus understandable raised expectations following Eddie Howe’s heroics last season.

Like the CEO appointment, this is another that needs filling ASAP, with the right person.

Training Ground

Even ahead of the October 2021 takeover, we were repeatedly told that a new state of the art training complex was a big priority for the imminent new Newcastle United owners.

After the takeover, we were told that a number of sites were under consideration, just a case of deciding which one. Land the Reuben family own up at Newcastle Racecourse, was widely believed to be the preferred option.

Now four years after the takeover, some six years after that takeover process kicked off, not even any plans released. No site made public.

Instead the existing training ground has been patched up. Further patching up announced in March when we were also told by Darren Eales; “Though we are looking to the medium-term for a new training ground.”

Here’s hoping we are getting that medium-term decision announced soon…

New Stadium

A number of supposed announcement dates have passed on this very important necessity.

In March 2025, Darren Eales said it had been put back yet again:

“We are looking to get something done in the near future.

“We have looked at the feasibility of what is possible and that is what we are narrowing down…”

Six months further on and still no news.

This is a massive priority for the Newcastle United owners, the priority, or at least it should be.

The only chance the club have of competing long-term, on and off the pitch, is by closing the financial chasm that still exists between NUFC and ‘those’ six Premier League clubs. In order to do that, a modern new massive stadium with a far bigger capacity, is an absolute key factor if it is to happen. Plus of course allowing tens of thousands more fans to be able to see their team play each home match.