Saudi Crown Prince's Role in Newcastle United Takeover Revealed?

Now I am sure you are all tired of the conversations and controversy surrounding the club takeover by now as all of us Newcastle faithful are, but we do have to report the news especially things like this as they could affect the club directly and have possible serious consequences for the team and in tandem us supporters.

Looking on the bright side the squad has so far been unscathed and we have no injury news to bring you so we should be firing on all fronts at the weekend. It is also worth mentioning if you have suffered an injury yourself https://www.personalinjuryclaimscare.org.uk/ is incredible, certainly helped me out a bit, hence why I'm giving them a shoutout.

What Are The Papers Saying?

Leaked WhatsApp messages have exposed the direct involvement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) in the controversial 2021 takeover of Newcastle United. The messages, obtained by The Telegraph, suggest that the Crown Prince, who is the chairman of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), was closely monitoring the deal. This contradicts the assurances provided to the Premier League that the club's ownership would remain separate from the Saudi state.

Amanda Staveley, who brokered the £305 million sale between former owner Mike Ashley and PIF, repeatedly referenced the Crown Prince's involvement in key moments of the deal. In several messages, Staveley expressed concerns about MbS's patience with the slow progress. One message to Ashley's team in March 2020 warned, "The Crown Prince is losing patience – I need to assure him we will get there."

While PIF owns 80% of Newcastle United, with the remaining stakes held by Staveley's PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben brothers, the takeover has been contentious due to Saudi Arabia's human rights record and allegations of state-sanctioned piracy of Premier League broadcasts.Despite the revelations, Staveley maintained that her references to MbS were in his capacity as chairman of PIF and not as Saudi Arabia's leader. Through her lawyers, she described claims suggesting otherwise as "illogical and misconceived."

What Could This Mean For Newcastle United?

As we well know the Premier League had initially blocked the sale over concerns about Saudi state control but ultimately approved the deal after receiving "legally binding assurances" that PIF would operate independently of the Saudi government. Now if what has been reported recently turns out to be factual this could possibly have earth-shattering consequences for the club.

It would mean that there was a clear lack of transparency when the takeover plans were discussed with the premier league, and that would be a clear breach of the rules. The consequences form this could be dire. Relegation or a points deduction could well be possible, or the possibility that the current owners have to sell the club immediately to another party.

If this has gone on then it's another fine mess our "beloved" previous Chairman Mike Ashley has left us. Just when you think you have expelled the ghosts of the past they pop back up again to haunt you. Our fans deserve better.