Newcastle's long-term plans under their owners have been brought back under scrutiny thanks to Spurs' interest in Sandro Tonali
Simon Jordan has questioned what the long-term future is for Newcastle United amid the ongoing Sandro Tonali transfer saga.
The Magpies turned down an £80million bid for the Italian from Tottenham Hotspur last week, with a growing belief that the midfielder is on his way out of Tyneside this summer.
The fact that Spurs - who finished 17th two seasons in a row - are able to offer more money and potentially seen as a better long-term prospect for Tonali has got some Newcastle fans hot under the collar.
For Jordan, it's another example of how the Saudi-led project may not be able to get to where it wants to be in the short or medium term. And while PIF have insisted that they remain fully committed - with the likes of purchasing Leazes Terrace and investment in the training ground showing their intent - former Crystal Palace owner-turned radio pundit Jordan wonders if they would be tempted to sell up soon.
"Do Spurs have the position in terms of financial landscape that Newcastle wish to inhabit?" he said on talkSPORT. "Because it wasn't so long ago that Spurs were one of the big four big five clubs that were determining the course of the destiny around the the Premier League.
"They have a £500million, £600million turnover. So, they have all the ingredients to be a big football club. They just haven't been able to achieve it for a multitude of reasons.
"Do I think he [Tonali] goes to Tottenham? No, I don't. I think he'll go to a club that's more imminently successful than Spurs. And that's not decrying or devaluing Spurs.
"The challenge for Newcastle is is how do they get to where people's perception of them [is] in terms of the mind's eye of the ownership. For want of a better expression, I think the Saudis have shot their bolt. I don't think they're going to spend lots and lots of money on sports per se now.
"And I think if they were going to do it, I think you might find the Saudis are going to sell this football club. I wouldn't be surprised to see that happening in the immediate or near future, or relatively near future.
"So you look at it and say, what do Newcastle become? We've had this, I think, frankly ridiculous set of observations from their chief executive.
"First of all, he didn't want to commit himself to Eddie Howe, which opened up a whole raft of controversies. Then he rode back from that. And then he talks about the 2030 project. Well, we know what the 2030 project is. It's about Saudi building itself into a whole raft of other things in his own country. But they index everything they do to the 2030 project.
"Now he's talking about Newcastle winning the league by 2030. Not even if you are the lion, the witch and the wardrobe could you believe that fairy tale? Because there's no possible way you're going to be able to achieve it irrespective of what Leicester did 10 years ago."
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