Newcastle United representatives will hold potentially decisive talks over a permanent deal with airline SAUDIA during the club’s upcoming trip to the owners’ homeland of Saudi Arabia.
SAUDIA are sponsoring Newcastle’s mid-season tour which will see Eddie Howe’s side take advantage of a warm-weather training camp in Riyadh before facing Al-Hilal in a friendly next Thursday and could become their sponsors long-term.
According to Football Insider, Newcastle would prefer to do business with a company not formally linked to their owners so as to avoid accusations of financial doping.
SAUDIA are state-owned but legally independent of PIF, the nation’s sovereign wealth fund and owners of the Premier League club.
A sponsorship broker has told Football Insider that the commercial department of Newcastle will convene with the Public Investment Fund and representatives from SAUDIA next week, with a view to agreeing a deal in principle to sponsor the club.
An official announcement, however, is likely to be held off until at least the spring.
The Premier League’s Fair Market Value committee could approve a partnership worth up to £300m if the deal is structured over 10 years.
This would bring in major money to the club and will allow them to spend more in the transfer market.
Eddie Howe has already overseen the club’s impressive leap up to third in the Premier League table and it won’t be long before the Magpies are contesting for first.