November 9 – Premier League clubs are to fast track a vote to ban loan moves from teams under the same ownership.
The vote is to take place at the next shareholders’ meeting on November 21 amid concerns over the possible exploitation of multi-club ownership.
The measure, for instance, would block Newcastle from signing players from clubs also owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The Magpies reportedly want to bring in 26-year-old Ruben Neves (pictured) – who joined Al-Hilal for £47 million in June – to help plug the midfield gap created by Sandro Tonali’s 10-month ban for breaching betting rules.
The temporary rule – which would need the support of at least 14 of the 20 Premier League clubs to be implemented – would only apply to incoming loans, not outgoing. And it would only run until a long-term solution can be agreed in time for the summer transfer window.
Newcastle are one of 10 Premier League clubs working within the multi-ownership model. Big-spending Manchester City and Chelsea are two others who fall under the same category.
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brighton, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace also have owners with stakes in foreign clubs. Unlike Newcastle and the four PIF-owned Saudi clubs, however, the majority of those overseas teams are not stacked with star names.
Brighton, for instance, use their arrangement with Belgian team Union St Gilloise – in which Seagulls owner Tony Bloom has a minority stake – to send players on loan to gain experience.
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