Premier League football club takeovers are always massive news stories, and the latest one in the works is no exception. This example looks likely to be one of the more controversial though, with huge implications for all of England's current big clubs.
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is set to purchase an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle United. Where the Gallowgate End faithful will be delighted to see the back of current owner Mike Ashley if the deal is completed, the Saudis' poor record with human rights leaves a sour taste in the mouths of some.
Perhaps this takeover is generating so many headlines as there is no football being played at present, but this wouldn't be the first Saudi involvement in the Premier League if the sale goes through. Abdullah bin Musa'ad, a Saudi prince and businessman, bought a 50pc stake in Sheffield United in 2013 and has since taken control of the club.
And this deal will be more notable in one key aspect. If PIF become owners of Newcastle, they will become the richest owners in the Premier League, knocking Sheikh Mansour, the owner of Manchester City, into second place. The Magpies and the Blues could become serious rivals on the pitch before we know it.
The potential new owners of Newcastle will also have one eye on emulating Paris Saint-Germain, the French champions owned by Qatar Sport Investments. Top-level football in Europe is starting to resemble a power game between the various Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
And interestingly, it appears to be Qatar's beIN Sports which is offering the most resistance to the Newcastle deal. As the Premier League's top overseas broadcaster, they are locked in a dispute with Saudi Arabia's beoutQ, a piracy operation that broadcasts sporting events by transmitting beIN's signal.
The home states of the respective owners of City and Newcastle (should the deal go through) already have a complicated relationship, to put it mildly. Where Yemen was once used for a sitcom punchline in the 1990s, more recently it has been engaged in a civil war which is now in its sixth year. Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have surfaced, as both countries are competing for spheres of influence in the region.
There's clearly a lot riding on the Newcastle takeover. If it goes through and a new Saudi-Abu Dhabi competition begins on the fields of English football, it will occur at a very interesting time for City.
The club are currently suspended from European football for the next two seasons. They have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the coronavirus pandemic has put that process on hold for now. It's also unclear at this point in what form continental competition will even take in 2020/21, with countless issues still to be resolved in the current campaign.
The current English champions also need to perform an overhaul on their ageing squad. David Silva will be leaving in the summer, and the likes of Fernandinho and Sergio Aguero will also need replacing before too long.
So are City there for the taking by a new player in the Premier League with countless cash to splash? It's a possibility, but the uncertainty surrounding the club's future aligned to the potential new rivalry may lead the City Football Group to invest heavily in an attempt to remain the top Arab state in the world of football.
From a City perspective, it's entirely feasible the Newcastle takeover could actually push them on to new heights. City fans should keep an eye on events in the north-east of England with great interest.
JorgeNilmar
407
They shud think about financial fair play rules. As we wait to see Man city vs Newcastle united (ARAB OIL CLASSICO in England).