Newcastle United's hopes of finalising their £300million takeover could reportedly be dented after new legal documents emerged.
The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, led by Prince Mohamed bin Salman, has, along with the Reuben Brothers and Amanda Staveley, been working on a deal to purchase the Premier League side from Mike Ashley.
But while their had been ambitions that completion of the deal could have been announced in the coming days, the Guardian report that fresh documents have been provided to the league which show a 'firm link' between the Saudi government and pirate TV streaming service, BeoutQ.
The service offers users in Saudi Arabia illegal access to major sporting events such as the Premier League, the Wimbledon tennis championships and the Six Nations.
With the documents reportedly in the hands of the league, it could mean any decision over whether the owners pass the league's fit and proper persons' test is delayed.
Newcastle's prospective new owners have strongly denied any link to the BeoutQ platform.
The £300m bid for Newcastle would see the PIF take an 80 per cent stake in the club while Staveley's PCP's partners would own 10 per cent and property tycoons, David and Simon Reuben, owning the remaining 10 per cent.
The owners' and directors' test that the Premier League undertake as due diligence before a takeover is completed states that digital piracy is 'prohibited'.
UEFA, the Premier League as well as LaLiga in Spain have attempted to shut down the illegal streaming service without success.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas said last month: 'They are stealing our product in Saudi Arabia ... we decided we wouldn't have any kind of relationship with Saudi Arabia ... until that (piracy) is solved'.
The row surrounding the takeover and television ignited last month when Doha-based broadcaster beIN Sports wrote to the Premier League to demand they block the deal.
Sources with Saudi connections told Sportsmail last month they suspect that Qatar-based beIN's decision to lobby the Premier League as well its 19 other clubs is motivated by the fear of losing their own broadcasting deal, which cost £500m for three years and expires in 2022.
'This is a longstanding conflict between Qatar and Saudi and is very political. It is motivated by money and status,' said the source. 'BeIN will be worried about the arrival of the Saudi state as Premier League owners.
'The Premier League and Champions League are huge in Saudi and, for the Premier League, it is an untapped market in terms of commercial gain.'
Sportsmail has contacted the Premier League for comment.