Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has confirmed that the club's Saudi Arabian owners remain as committed as ever to taking the team to the top, following a two-day summit in Northumberland.
Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), and minority owner Jamie Reuben were among those attending the annual meeting at Matfen Hall. The gathering comes amid news that PIF is withdrawing its multi-billion-dollar backing of LIV Golf at the end of the season, but senior Newcastle figures were assured weeks ago that this would not affect the club.
Despite Newcastle sitting 14th in the Premier League, Howe stressed that the owners' determination to succeed was clear in the meetings he attended on Thursday.
"The desire is unchanged," Howe said. "It's to try and get to the top of the Premier League, to try and consistently win as many trophies as possible. I don't think that will change while the PIF are our owners."
Newcastle's hierarchy have previously spoken of achieving these goals by 2030, but Howe acknowledged that building the necessary infrastructure will take time. Following a major capital investment, plans for a new state-of-the-art training ground are expected to be announced soon. Discussions have also taken place regarding the future of St James' Park, with the club considering whether to expand the current stadium or build a new one to boost revenue.
"They clearly care so much about the football club [given] the long-term planning that's going on," Howe added. "[There are] very exciting times ahead for the club, regardless of what happens short-term. The long-term vision is clearly there."
The summit, planned for months, covered infrastructure projects, recruitment plans, the team's recent dip in form, and how to address it. Howe gave a presentation on Thursday as scheduled, and while he had "challenging conversations" with the owners, he sounded upbeat at his Friday news conference ahead of the visit of Brighton.
Internally, the club's approach remains rational, relying on cold, thorough analysis rather than emotional reactions.