NEWCASTLE got the green light to sign ANYONE they want from Saudi Arabia in January despite league chiefs wanting otherwise.
And the Toon “victory” will allow Eddie Howe to target former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves and any other Saudi-based player when the window opens on January 1.
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Prem bosses wanted to bring in an immediate temporary ban on player loans from “associated parties”.
That would have prevented Howe replenishing his ranks with a short-term replacement for banned Sandro Tonali from any of the four Saudi Pro League clubs owned by the Gulf Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund.
But in a surprise rebuff for Prem chiefs, the vote in favour of the motion did not meet the necessary two thirds majority.
Toon executives Amanda Staveley and Darren Eales attended the meeting of the Prem’s 20 “shareholder” clubs aware they had a struggle to get their way.
It had been anticipated by some backers of the rule change that the Prem had 15 clubs in support and five against.
But instead, the proposal “won” the vote by only 12 clubs to eight, not enough to force through the alteration of League rules.
It was claimed that Sheffield United, like Newcastle under Saudi ownership, had indicated they were under pressure to oppose the rule change from senior figures in the Kingdom.
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Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton had been expected to oppose the amended rules.
City and Chelsea are already part of “multi-club ownership” groups, while Everton will join that club if the proposed buy-out by 777 Partners goes through.
But it was the votes of Burnley, Wolves and Nottingham Forest that gave Newcastle a blocking minority.
Staveley was all smiles as she left the meeting room at a central London hotel, although both she and Eales declined to make any comment.
League executives also said nothing but it was a rare and unexpected reverse, suggesting any attempt to reintroduce the concept will fail until the make-up of the top flight changes.
And that means Newcastle have a clear run to try to tempt the likes of former Wolves star Neves, ex-Liverpool midfielder Fabinho or Serbian Sergei Milinkovic-Savic to St James’ Park for the second half of the season.
In a separate vote, a move to tweak some of the League’s other associated party rules was defeated 13-7, one short of the necessary majority, with Burnley switching sides.
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