According to an extraordinary exclusive from the Daily Mail, Mohammed Bin Salman contacted Boris Johnson last year asking him to to ‘correct and reconsider’ a ‘wrong conclusion’ that saw the Premier League block the proposed takeover of Newcastle United.
The same report states that the ‘angry’ crown prince warned the Prime Minister that Anglo-Saudi relations ‘would be damaged’ if the decision was not reversed.
It’s also revealed that Johnson instructed senior aide Lord Eddie Lister to investigate the matter, with Lister a known Middle East expert.
The Daily Mail state that Bin Salman was ‘enraged’ after the Premier League asked if the proposed takeover would see the Saudi state own Newcastle United – and it seems his decision to contact the Prime Minister was to make it abundantly clear that the PIF and Saudi royal family were two completely separate entities.
This is something that’s believed to have been one of the biggest sticking points for the Premier League.
Here’s the chain of messages involving MBS, Johnson and Lord Lister, as revealed by the Daily Mail:
Mohammed Bin Salman – ‘We expect the English Premier League to reconsider and correct its wrong conclusion.’
Boris Johnson – ‘One for Sir Edward’
Eddie Lister – ‘I’m on the case. I will investigate.’
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