A large section of Newcastle United fans are getting anxious as PIF seen to be funding direct rivals
The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the 85% majority owner of Newcastle United, but the Magpies aren't their only focus in the world of football.
When the PIF took over Newcastle United, it was their first foray into the world of football, but it didn't take long before the huge investment company started to inject money into other avenues around the sport.
The Saudi Pro League was invented with the PIF backing several clubs in that competition, funding mega-money moves for players, which often benefited direct rivals of Newcastle United.
While that has died down somewhat, the PIF are still out there lining the pockets of Newcastle's biggest competitors, and patience is running thin with the Magpies' fanbase.
Chelsea just inherited £84 million of the PIF's money
Last night, Chelsea were said to have pocketed an eye-watering £84 million for winning the Club World Cup, and a large portion of that fund came from the PIF's sponsorship of the controversial tournament.
Meanwhile, as the PIF throw money at other clubs, albeit indirectly, Newcastle are left dawdling along in the transfer market, having to penny-pinch to avoid running into PSR issues.
At the same time, TalkSPORT are claiming that a PIF subsidiary could be about to net naming rights for Tottenham Hotspur's ground, as Newcastle are left, again, dawdling in the background over even making a decision on a new stadium.
PIF need to make a big statement for Newcastle United
Fans on social media are becoming increasingly frustrated by the PIF's apparent lack of interest in Newcastle, with one fan branding them as 'traitors'. That is a tad extreme, but we can absolutely understand where it's coming from, especially when their money is going into the coffers of clubs like Chelsea, who are spending wildly once again this summer in a bid to put distance between us and them.
There's a strong feeling that the club is a mess behind the scenes with all of the upheaval in the boardroom, the dragging on of the stadium decision, the lack of training ground, training kit and stadium sponsorship and of course, the club's inability to conduct transfer business in a timely manner.
While we share the frustrations, we also can't really fault what's happening on the pitch, and that's what matters the most, and without the PIF, that wouldn't be happening, so they do have to take some credit.
Although it would be nice if they could turn their attention back to their flagship football investment and get some positive updates rolled out.
