In his newest blog entry, Richard Keys states that he ‘doesn’t accept’ reports stating that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, personally handled the takeover of Newcastle United, and that claims of British government participation are ‘not genuine’.
The former Sky Sports pundit responded after The Telegraph published stolen WhatsApp communications from former Newcastle director Amanda Staveley on Sunday, raising suspicions about Bin Salman’s role in the £305 million takeover.
Staveley, who helped arrange the agreement in 2021, reportedly mentioned the Crown Prince several times in private discussions and warned then-Newcastle owner Mike Ashley’s side about Bin Salman’s responses, claiming that ‘the Crown Prince is losing patience’. According to the Telegraph, the texts ‘raise doubts over commitments made to the Premier League to complete the agreement’, following the league receiving ‘legally enforceable assurances’ that the Saudi state would not manage the St James’ Park club.
Keys addressed the incident on his blog, stating that he ‘doesn’t trust’ Bin Salman’s or the British government’s role in the coup. According to sources in The Telegraph, MbS oversaw the Newcastle takeover. No. I do not believe it. “They go even farther, claiming WhatsApp conversations imply British government participation as well. No. This cannot be true.
“I recall Tracey Crouch saying in her assessment of football governance that the game needed an independent administrator and that if one was in place, the Newcastle deal would not have happened. “Independent? Perhaps she meant the government regulator? Which is exactly what we’ve been talking about all along. And the Newcastle agreement was always going to happen because the government of the moment wanted it to.”
According to The Guardian, the Premier League will not evaluate the legality of Newcastle’s ownership because it believes there is a clear separation between the Saudi state and those in command of the Magpies. Staveley, meantime, has stressed through her lawyers that her references to Bin Salman in the leaked discussions were only in his capacity as chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Staveley initially owned a 10% stake in Newcastle before selling them in July. PIF now holds 85%, with the remaining 15% held by British billionaire property developers Reuben Brothers.
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