Eddie Howe says Newcastle United owners' desire is 'unchanged' despite LIV Golf funding withdrawal - 'They are very ambitious for the football club'
Published 01/05/2026 at 13:35 GMT+1
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Eddie Howe insists that Newcastle United’s owners are as committed to the club as ever, despite the decision by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to pull its support for LIV Golf after the 2026 season.
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The Magpies are majority-owned by the Public Investment Fund after they completed a controversial takeover in 2021.
However, hopes of a significant cash injection have reportedly dwindled after Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund announced it would end its support for LIV Golf, which was established in 2021 to rival the PGA Tour.
PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan is also the chairman of the Premier League club and the fund did not make any reference to sport in its recent 2026 to 2030 strategy.
Howe said that he met with Newcastle's owners before his side’s clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, stating that they are as committed to the club as ever.
"The desire is unchanged,” he said. ”It is to get to the top of the Premier League and to try to win as many trophies consistently as possible.
"I don’t think, if PIF are sole owners or part-owners, that will change.
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”They are very ambitious for the football club, but a lot of things they need to do to elevate the club to that position takes a bit of time."
Howe says he did not discuss the future of LIV Golf with Newcastle’s owners prior to the announcement that they would cease their support for the event.
”No [there were no discussions about LIV Golf], and I didn’t seek any either,” he added.
”That is a total separate entity and business. It was all football and big discussions on this season and lots of other aspects of the football club.
"Meetings were lasting right through the day.
”I was a part of a few hours of that. I didn’t participate in the whole day because I was training here with the team, but I would say that what came through was the determination to succeed and continue to grow the club in every aspect."
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Newcastle won their first domestic trophy for 70 years in the form of the 2025 Carabao Cup and qualified for the UEFA Champions League in two of the past three campaigns.
However, they have struggled to replicate that form this term following a difficult summer that saw star forward Alexander Isak join Liverpool.
Howe’s side are currently 14th in the Premier League and on a run of four consecutive defeats.
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The English manager knows that he has to "retain the confidence" of the club.
"I don’t think it serves anybody to not have that long-term vision,” he added.
"So, it’s interesting how you do the job because you pretty much look at it day to day. How can we prepare for Brighton with one eye on next week, and one eye on the summer, and then one eye on next season?
"That’s always how I have managed.
"You look after long-term interests while taking care of the very short-term aims that you need, and that will never change.
"Regardless of results, you have to have that for the benefit of the football club. You always have to think of the football club first. We need to win games."
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