The Premier League is facing pressure to re-examine Newcastle United’s £300 million takeover after a US court case revealed that the club’s owner is part of the Saudi Arabian government. The Premier League had previously insisted that they had “legally binding assurances” that the Saudi government did not control the club, but this was thrown into doubt when lawyers for Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan admitted in the court case that their clients were representatives of the Saudi government.
The case, which was part of a bitter golf battle between the Saudi-funded LIV Tour and the PGA, saw LIV lawyers state that “PIF and His Excellency Yasir al-Rumayyan are not ordinary third parties subject to basic discovery relevance standards. They are a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a sitting minister of the Saudi government.”
This has led to anger from rival Premier League clubs, who are furious that the Premier League failed to block the deal in the first place. As part of the final discussions between Premier League bosses and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, concerns were raised over “which entities would own and/or have the ability to control the club” before the ownership guarantees were given. However, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters had previously insisted that “if we find evidence to the contrary we can remove the consortium as owners of the club in accordance with the rules.”
Now, rival club chiefs are calling on Masters and Premier League bosses to act, with one club boss saying: “This looks like a complete reversal of the position we were told was the reason the deal was approved. Surely the Premier League has to get involved here and look at this issue again.”
The Premier League has declined to comment on this latest development, but it is sure to concern Newcastle fans who are still coming to terms with their team’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester United. Despite this, Newcastle’s board showed their appreciation for their supporters in an open letter, saying: “The scenes around Wembley and inside the stadium on Sunday were remarkable and beyond inspiring. We could not have asked for any more from you. That connection and sense of family is part of our identity. Our ambitions are strengthened by this experience and it will only make us even more determined as we move forward.”
The Premier League is now under pressure to re-investigate Newcastle United’s takeover after US court revelations that the club’s owner is part of the Saudi Arabian government. This has sparked outrage from rival Premier League clubs, who are demanding that Masters and Premier League bosses take action. The court case saw lawyers for Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan admit that their clients were representatives of the Saudi government, which runs contrary to what was said in order to approve the deal in October 2021.
At the time, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters had stated that if any evidence was found to suggest otherwise, then they would take action in accordance with their rules. Now, rival club chiefs are urging Masters and Premier League bosses to look into this issue again and take appropriate action. The Premier League has yet to comment on this latest development, but it is sure to be of concern to Newcastle fans who are still coming to terms with their team’s cup final defeat.