Newcastle CEO David Hopkinson meeting with PIF ahead of World Cup final

Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson has flown across the Atlantic for a series of high-level meetings, including one with PIF chairman Yasir Al Rumayyan.

Despite the feeling that the club's Saudi Arabian backers are losing interest in the club, PIF remains committed to Newcastle United by all accounts, but is happy to sit back and let David Hopkinson run the club.

Obviously, they want to see the club succeed as more success means more return on investment, so they will check in regularly with Hopkinson, and that is taking place this weekend during the World Cup final weekend.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan is in New York to take in the final on Sunday, with PIF being one of the sponsors, and David Hopkinson will also be in New York to speak to the owners after a rollercoaster start to the summer transfer period.

David Hopkinson is a busy man in NYC

The Chronicle explains that Hopkinson is set for several big meetings while he's in the USA, also expecting to catch up with new partners KNOX Hydration as well as four potential commercial partners.

Given the intense scrutiny we're now under thanks to the UEFA sanctions, more commercial partners are exactly what we need right now, as the more revenue we can generate, the sooner we can get UEFA off our backs.

Hopkinson will also meet with Adidas, hopefully to ask them what they were thinking when they came up with that barcode design for this season's kits. 

While you're there, mate

If the Canadian CEO want to really maximise his time over there, he should track down his fellow countryman Jonathan David and convince him to take a pay cut and join Newcastle. Just a suggestion.

Meanwhile, back home, Eddie Howe's pre-season Mags have a game this afternoon in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Darlington.

Let's hope for a cricket score and plenty of exciting names on the scoresheet. Or more realistically, let's just hope that everyone comes through the test injury-free.