Newcastle's owners are reportedly providing the money to fund Saudi Arabia's attempts to convince Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the country.
Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr after his acrimonious exit from Manchester United, though he was unable to help them to win the title. Now, bosses in the Middle Eastern state are said to be hoping to tempt other superstars to join their teams.
Their aim is to turn the Pro League into a destination for top footballing talent, with Ronaldo the first piece of the puzzle. And with Messi confirmed to be leaving PSG this summer, there are suggestions he will follow Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia.
The World Cup winner has been offered a record-breaking contract in a bid to tempt him into moving to the Middle East. The money for that offer is coming from a familiar place to Premier League fans.
According to the New York Times, the owners of Newcastle United, the Public Investment Fund, are funding the offers.
The PIF, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, is chaired by the country's powerful crown prince Mohamed bin Salman and has provided much of the money which has been invested into the league in recent years. And Pro League bosses are set to use even more of that cash to turn the division into a powerhouse.
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Huge offers are already thought to have been presented to players including Messi and Real Madrid star Benzema. The size of the war chest at the league's disposal is unknown, though it is said to be 'hefty'.
The PIF has signed 20-year commercial agreements with the four most popular teams in the Pro League. And they also sponsor the league itself through one of the companies they own, real estate developer Roshn.
It is reported that the four teams PIF have an agreement with will field three top foreign players each. There has been criticism of the plans from within the state though, with Al-Shabab's president leading those calls after his team was not picked by the PIF.
“I have buried the ‘big four’ myth with my own hands. The gap is getting too large, the financial situation does not allow us to compete with other clubs,” Khalid al-Baltan said recently.
“Am I expected to close that huge gap myself? My car is a small Japanese sedan, and I’m somehow expected to race against Lamborghinis and Ferraris. If I don’t win then I’m bad? This is not logical.”
Mirror Football has contacted the PIF for comment.
