Could another two English football giants come under Saudi control?
Saudi Arabia's sports minister says its government would "definitely support" Saudi private-sector bids for Manchester United and Liverpool.
The owners of both Premier League clubs are currently exploring potential sales.
Whoever the potential buyers are, they will need deep pockets as it has been speculated that United could fetch as much as £9billion and Liverpool could go for £5billion.
Newcastle United already has Saudi owners after a takeover backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund was completed in October 2021.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal told the BBC there was a lot of "interest and appetite" in United and Liverpool.
Passion for football
He said: "From the private sector, I can't speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there's a lot of passion about football.
"It's the most-watched league in Saudi and the region, and you have a lot of fans of the Premier League.
"We will definitely support it if any (Saudi) private sector comes in, because we know that's going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom.
"If there's an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?"
Little more than 12 months since their takeover, Newcastle are third in the Premier League table and unbeaten in all competitions since August 31.
The Magpies have spent more than £200million on players since the club changed hands, breaking their transfer record to sign Swedish striker Alexander Isak in the summer.
Excellent job
"They've done an excellent job," added Prince Abdulaziz.
"They still have a long way to go - they've brought the right people on board.
"I'm sure they have targets to win the league and the Champions League and so on because they strive for the best and always bring the best on board, so I think it's going to be a bright future for Newcastle."
Prince Abdulaziz also said he would "love" to see Cristiano Ronaldo join a Saudi club following his departure from Manchester United.
The Portugal forward left the Old Trafford club with immediate effect on Tuesday following a controversial interview in which the 37-year-old criticised United and said he had "no respect" for manager Erik ten Hag.
In the interview with TalkTV, Ronaldo also said he turned down a £305million deal to join a Saudi Arabian club in the summer - a move that would have seen him become the highest-paid footballer in the world.
Role model
"Anything is possible, I would love to see Ronaldo play in the Saudi league," said Prince Abdulaziz. "It would benefit the league, the sports eco-system in Saudi and it will inspire the youth for the future. He's a role model to a lot of kids and has a big fanbase in Saudi."
Ronaldo is currently playing at what is likely to be his last World Cup, a tournament Prince Abdulaziz would be keen to bring to Saudi Arabia.
The state is in the running to host the women's and men's Asian Cup in 2026 and 2027 respectively and, if the bids are successful, he believes it will "for sure" increase the chance of Saudi bidding for the World Cup.
"Why not? Who wouldn't want to host the World Cup?" he added.