Published Oct 10, 2026, 8:10 AM GMT+1

Just six years ago, the Magpies looked destined for relegation from the Premier League, but the investment of the Saudi PIF has made them a force to be reckoned with again.

Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent during their tenure at St James’ Park, but the club have still managed to raise mega fees and avoid losing millions in their efforts to satisfy PSR rules.

However, not all of the owner’s deals have worked out as they anticipated, with one player’s time on Tyneside certainly failing to meet expectations.

Why Chris Wood struggled to deliver at Newcastle

In one of the Saudi PIF’s first big statements in charge of Newcastle, they forked out a reported £25m to secure the services of striker Chris Wood from Burnley.

Prior to his arrival on Tyneside, the New Zealand international had netted double figures in four consecutive seasons - making him a proven Premier League option in their hunt for success.

However, it’s safe to say his time at the club was one to forget, as the 34-year-old only featured 39 times over a 12-month period - the majority of which came as a substitute.

During such a period, Wood could only manage to find the back of the net on five occasions, with four of his efforts coming in England’s top-flight - an average of one goal every eight outings.

He often came under fire from the fanbase for his wasteful nature within the final third, as the big-money addition missed 18 big chances during his time as a Magpie.

The talisman has since joined Nottingham Forest in recent years, with the fellow top-flight outfit paying a reported £15m for his signature back in the summer of 2023.

As a result, the Magpies took a 50% loss in their original investment, and to make matters worse, he’s netted 41 goals for the Reds since his subsequent departure.

Why one Newcastle star is becoming the next Wood

There’s no denying the Newcastle hierarchy have improved their recruitment over recent years since the deal to sign Wood, which has allowed the Magpies to reach new heights.

Eddie Howe led the club to numerous campaigns in the Champions League - something which was once a distant dream for all of the supporters at St James’ Park.

He too kickstarted the PIF’s tenure on Tyneside and the club’s rise simply wouldn’t have been possible without his efforts from the dugout in recent seasons.

On the pitch, Joe Willock arrived before the takeover, but was integral during the season prior during his loan spell from fellow Premier League side Arsenal.

The Magpies paid a reported £20m to sign the Englishman in the summer of 2021, with such a deal seen as a bargain given his record of eight goals in 14 outings during his temporary stint.

However, in the five years since his subsequent transfer, it’s safe to say the 27-year-old has failed to match the form from his loan spell - and failed to provide value for money.

Willock has now racked up 175 appearances for the Magpies and only found the net 14 times, a figure just six higher than his loan spell despite featuring 161 times more.

He’s largely been a bit part player for the Magpies over recent seasons, subsequently starting just 21 times in the Premier League since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

As a result, the vast majority of his minutes have come in cup competitions, with a whole host of other players ahead him in the midfield pecking order.

He’s actually cost a pretty penny alongside his transfer fee over recent seasons, as the midfielder has pocketed around £27m in wages over the last five seasons.

As a result, he’s cost the hierarchy a fee in the region of £47m - a figure which is way more than the output he’s delivered on the pitch when selected.

Willock is now starting to become the next Wood at Newcastle, with the Englishman seen as a player who was once able to take the club forward but has now reached his ceiling.

The hierarchy should now be looking to move the 27-year-old on in the near future, and whilst they would lose a huge amount on their investment - it would prevent them from losing further down the line.