Premier League set to vote on temporary ban on loan signings from clubs with same owners… in a move which would stop Newcastle snapping up Saudi-based players in January
- Premier League clubs are set to vote on a ban on incoming loan purchases
- Fourteen of the twenty top clubs must agree to the proposal on November 21
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Premier League shareholders will vote later this month on a temporary ban on incoming loan deals between clubs with the same owners, meaning Newcastle would be unable to arrange deals for players in Saudi Arabia.
Fourteen of the twenty top members will be needed to agree to the fast-track proposal on November 21, and it is expected that this will happen.
That would close the door on loaning players like Ruben Neves to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, whose Public Investment Fund owners have an 80 percent stake in St James’ Park.
Former Wolves midfielder Neves would be an ideal replacement for Sandro Tonali, who is currently banned for 10 months after breaching gambling rules in Italy.
However, the Premier League rivals will block such a move in time for the January transfer window. An assessment of the situation will then take place before any permanent changes are implemented.
A move would stop Newcastle from loaning players from Saudi Arabia such as Ruben Neves
The Public Investment Fund owns the Saudi company Al-Hilal and has an 80 percent stake in Newcastle
The temporary ban would not apply to permanent transfers as these are already subject to the Premier League’s ‘associate transactions’ controls.
But all multi-club ownership models, such as Manchester City’s City Football Group, would be affected by the changes. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Brighton, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace have owners with interests in foreign clubs, while Manchester United’s new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe owns the French team Nice.
However, unlike Newcastle and the four Saudi clubs owned by PIF, the majority of these foreign teams do not have star names. Brighton are using their agreement with Belgian team Union St Gilloise – in which Seagulls owner Tony Bloom has a minority stake – to send players out on loan to gain experience.
But in the future, all transfers – permanent and loan – between clubs with shared ownership could be affected by new rules. There are concerns among several clubs about the potential exploitation of multi-club ownership.
Newcastle sold winger Allan Saint-Maximin to PIF-owned Al-Ahli in July, and head coach Eddie Howe admitted the move had unlocked their ability to spend money on the likes of Tonali, who joined from AC Milan for £52million . The Saint-Maximin deal, worth around £20 million, passed the Premier League’s fair market value checks, which remain in place.
In theory, there is currently nothing stopping Newcastle from loaning Saint-Maximin, or a player from a PIF-owned club. But that will almost certainly change this month and the Premier League will back the move, even as it insists the ban is not specifically aimed at Newcastle.