PIF-backed football club looking to defy the orders of Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan - journalist
In another edition of 'Things That Will Never Happen', Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal are now considering a raid on Newcastle United for one of their top players.
Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are one of several PIF-owned clubs in the Saudi Arabian league, and like their league counterparts, isn't above spending extortionate amounts of money to attract big players to play in what is effectively two steps above a Sunday League-level competition.
Unless they're buying players from Newcastle, that is, because if they try and buy one of our players for a penny above market value, all hell would break loose.
Newcastle fans feel that Allan Saint-Maximin, the only player to leave Newcastle for the Saudi Pro League, was sold well below market value for fear of such a backlash.
Brace yourself, things are about to get very odd
So, if Al-Ahli underpaid for Saint-Maximin, how much will Al-Hilal have to underpay for their target to appease the cartel? Well, given that their target is, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, Alexander Isak, it's not even worth contemplating.
Newcastle United chairman and governor of the PIF issued a strict instruction to Newcastle chiefs to keep hold of Isak this summer at all costs, so the idea that a PIF-backed club are ready to make a bid makes absolutely zero sense to begin with.
However, Newcastle recently told Liverpool to jog on after suggesting a £120 million deal. The Magpies have slapped a £150 million price tag on their star striker, and even then, that's just a starting point. Newcastle aren't going to let their prize asset go on the cheap, so the Premier League Cartel are never going to be happy with whatever it would take to get the deal done and will demand that the sale is put under a microscope.
In what world would Yasir Al-Rumayyan sign off on Alexander Isak moving to Saudi Arabia?
However, that's not even getting into the backlash that will happen at Newcastle should the PIF make a move to rob the club of its star asset to give to a Saudi Pro League side.
Honestly, we've seen some nonsense stories this summer, but this might even beat the Antony story from earlier in the week.
I'm genuinely starting to lose my grip on reality.
