Newcastle United takeover facing 'serious issues'

Financier Amamnda Staveley, backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and property developers David and Simon Reuben, agreed a £300million deal for the club with owner Mike Ashley in April.

The takeover has since been with the Premier League for its owners’ and directors’ test, and the Mirror claim beIN Sports’ objection over the piracy of top-flight games in Saudi Arabia has thrown the takeover “into huge doubt”.

The Premier League, which will restart next week following a lengthy hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, has previously failed to shut down the illegal broadcasts in the kingdom.

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has also objected to the deal on moral grounds. Cengiz said that the deal, if approved, would “stain the reputation of the Premier League and the UK”.