27 April 2023 , 18:38
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Newcastle's Saudi takeover must be looked at again by the Premier League, according to Aston Villa chief Christian Purslow.
Villa CEO Purslow is concerned about the levels of spending among the division's top clubs. He reckons foreign government backed ownership groups present a “clear and present” danger to the future of the league.
Newcastle, who were bought by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, are third in the top-flight and on course for Champions League qualification. The £300m deal for the club was approved in October 2021 after the Premier League confirmed it had received "legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control" the club.
But Purslow has now backed calls to re-examine the takeover which he fears could create a monopoly at the top. Asked if the League should look again at the takeover, Purslow replied: “Yes, I do. And I think they are and they would.
“If there is a contradiction in representation made at the time of the takeover, as to the nature of the relationship between the rulers of that country, the sovereign wealth fund and Newcastle, of course, the Premier League, I'm sure, are investigating that.”
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But Purslow doesn’t just have concerns about Newcastle given Manchester City is owned by Sheikh Mansour from Abu Dhabi and there is interest from Qatar in Manchester United.
Aston Villa chief Christian Purslow (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)He added: “I am profoundly worried about it. It is a clear and present danger. I don't want to look back in 20 years' time and say that I was part of a group that were asleep at the wheel.
“And in 20 years' time we look back and three teams, controlled by nations, are the only three teams winning the Premier League ever again. How do we stop that? We stop it with what we have today, which is extremely strict financial rules.”
Watch Aston Villa’s Chief Executive, Christian Purslow, on the Beth Rigby Interviews on Sky News or catch up with the Beth Rigby Interviews podcast.