The results speak for themselves: on February 26, at Wembley, the Magpies will face Manchester United in the League Cup final.

Currently 3rd in the Premier League, they could also qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season.

For the northern English club, four unfortunate finalists since their last trophy, an FA Cup in 1955, and runners-up in the Premier League in 1996 and 1997, the golden age seemed to be only a distant memory.

Two years ago, the club was still playing maintenance and the failure of a first attempt at a takeover by the Saudis, in 2020, had the all too familiar taste of missed opportunities.

But the Saudis returned to the charge in 2021 with an offer of slightly more than EUR 350 million and guarantees that despite the presence of the Saudi sovereign fund FPS with an 80% stake in the club, the government does not would have no role in the management of the club.

With a patron then weighing 400 billion euros, Newcastle suddenly became the richest club in the world and the fears of seeing it spend lavishly to come and shake up the hierarchy of English football were strong.

Brazilian Joelinton in Newcastle on January 31, 2023 © Paul ELLIS / AFP

"We dare to believe it again"

Despite the very bad reputation of the Saudi regime on respect for human rights, highlighted in particular by the NGO Amnesty International to criticize the takeover, the supporters began to dream of a sporting renaissance.

Amanda Staveley, matchmaker in the deal and member of the club's board of directors, had promised them that "Newcastle (would) fight for major trophies regularly" and the emblematic striker and supporter of the Magpies Alan Shearer had tweeted, the day of the announcement of the takeover, "we dare to believe in it again".

While it is undeniable that Newcastle have put a kick in the Premier League's anthill, their progress does not however owe everything to reckless spending.

With 280 million euros spent during the last three transfer windows, the new masters of St James' Park have certainly demonstrated their prodigality but the recruits have been well targeted and there has not (yet?) been a recruitment tape -at the eye.

English international full-back Kieran Trippier for EUR 14 million, Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes for EUR 42 million, goalkeeper Nick Pope for EUR 15 million or Sven Botman, bought EUR 37 million from Lille and who commands the best defense in the Premier League (11 goals conceded in 20 matches), all seem like excellent deals.

St James's Park, Newcastle stadium, January 31, 2023 © Paul ELLIS / AFP

The double scored on Tuesday, during the League Cup semi-final return against Southampton by Sean Longstaff, born and trained at the club, also shows that the local sector may still have a future in this "new-Newcastle".

Eddie Howe, key man of the rebound

"It's unbelievable. If we had said twelve months ago that all this was going to happen, everyone would have laughed," he commented after the match.

"Since the takeover, we have brought in quality players. It is really special and moving for me to see what we are building here."

At the forefront of the founding choices of this success story is that of coach Eddie Howe who had taken Bournemouth from the D4 to five seasons in the Premier League, from 2015 to 2020.

Unlike Graham Potter, who is struggling to convince at Chelsea, Howe (45) has completely convinced the skeptics, making Joelinton or Dan Burn, players long considered average, indisputable executives.

This workaholic can be seen 12 hours a day at Darsley Park, the training centre.

And Howe can rightly say, "The easy way out would be to talk about money, but that's not what got us where we are."

"Team spirit and cohesion is what takes you far (...) To immerse yourself in the culture (of the club) and to have a united group, that's the key", a- he recently assured.

© 2023 AFP