Premier League clubs to complain as Newcastle accused of inflating transfer fee
Newcastle's rivals are set to complain to the Premier League about the deal that will see Allan Saint-Maximin move to Saudi Arabia.
The Toon are owned by the Middle East country's Public Investment Fund, whose governor Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan is also chairman of the English side. The PIF also recently took outright ownership of four clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
That has led to a strategy of bringing in a range of big-name players during this summer's transfer window for mega-money - both in terms of fees and salaries. Now one of the clubs they control, Al-Ahli, is closing in on signing Saint-Maximin from the Premier League Magpies.
That has led to anger from some of their Premier League rivals, who are unhappy that the Magpies can sell a player to another team their owners control. As first reported by The Athletic, a number of teams are now ready to band together to 'raise concerns' with league chiefs about the deal.
Al-Ahli are set to pay a fee of around £30million for the Frenchman. Premier League rules state that any deal above £1m are now checked to ensure they do not exceed 'market value', while if Al-Ahli were UEFA-affiliated, the deal would be blocked under multi-club ownership rules.
Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush
Newcastle's rivals claim that the fact PIF own both teams means that Saint-Maximan's price is being adjusted to suit Newcastle's desire to spend and help the Toon circumvent FFP rules. Those teams believe that Newcastle are selling to Al-Ahli rather than find a potential buyer elsewhere to disguise an injection of capital to comply with financial fair play regulations.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should the Premier League allow Newcastle to sell Allan Saint-Maximin to Al-Ahli? Comment below.
Premier League clubs are unhappy with the deal that will see Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin join Al-AhliThey will also ask league chiefs to explain how they will establish 'market value' in such situations. The teams are also demanding greater scrutiny and transparency around the process.
Newcastle are said to be 'very comfortable' with their valuation of Saint-Maximin, who made 31 appearances in all competitions last season. He was not included in the Newcastle squad that has travelled to the United States for a pre-season tour, though boss Eddie Howe has said he is reluctant to lose him - despite Harvey Barnes being set to arrive for a fee in excess of £35million to replace the Frenchman.
“Allan is in discussions regarding a move to another club. Nothing is confirmed, nothing is done. But that’s why he wasn’t here today. With Financial Fair Play you have to trade," he said following Tuesday's win over Rangers.
"We were stuck in a position where we could not trade players the other way. That’s how FFP works. We understand that. Maxi is a top player and we definitely don’t want to lose him we want to strengthen the group. Sometimes these things happen and we have to accept that.”
The PIF's takeover of Newcastle was approved by the Premier League in October 2021, after the division claimed they had received "legally binding assurances" that the the Saudi state would not control the team.
That is despite the country's de-facto ruler Mohamed Bin Salman chairing the PIF. The fund owns 80 per cent of Newcastle and 75 per cent of Al-Ahli.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
