The Saudi takeover of Newcastle United is set to be approved after the Gulf state settled its piracy disputes with Premier League broadcast partner beIN Sports.
Sources have indicated that the lifting of a four-year ban on Qatar based beIN Sports being shown in Saudi and the removal of all forms of piracy in the country will pave way for the £ 300m deal to be signed off ending Mike Ashley’s 14-year. ownership.
The Premier League has now received assurance that the state will not be directly involved in the running of the club. Also, sources reveal this will see the deal given the green light in the coming days.
Last year, Ashley opened arbitration proceedings against the Premier League in a bid to revive the takeover and that case was set to be heard in January. It is now unlikely to happen.
The Premier League had delayed their decision on approving the deal given concerns over the involvement of the Saudi state, who they believe have been behind the piracy of their product over several years.
But with piracy issues having now been resolved and the Premier League satisfied they will not be signing off on Saudi state ownership, Newcastle fans are set to welcome a new era that will make them among the richest clubs in the world.
‘If all of this had been done 18 months ago, the takeover would have been signed off already,’ a source revealed.
‘The Premier League could not approve a takeover whereby one of its member clubs would be owned by a state it believed to be guilty of piracy against the League and one of its broadcast partners. The League has tried to sue the Saudi state nine times in relation to piracy”.
‘That was why the buyers had to prove separation from the Saudi state. That was almost impossible, especially given the revelations about Mohammed bin Salman texting Boris Johnson and pressurizing him to influence the deal”.
‘But those issues, including piracy, have now been resolved. Crucially, the Premier League do not want to be seen to be connected directly to the Saudi state.’
Newcastle are currently second bottom of the Premier League and without a win in seven matches under Steve Bruce.
The Newcastle United Supporters Trust revealed this week that 94 per cent of its members want Bruce to resign, although the takeover will now almost certainly bring about a change of manager.
The buyers, meanwhile, have always insisted that investment would be gradual and that their immediate focus will be on the infrastructural improvement of the club, as well as various other projects in the region.
No parties would officially comment on the takeover on Wednesday night, although sources close to Ashley says he expects the deal to go through.