Newcastle United were threatened to be thrown out of the Premier League they pushed to be sold to a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium, their lawyers have suggested.
Lawyers representing Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley have suggested the Premier League threatened to boot the club out of the top flight during the protracted takeover saga, reports the Daily Mail.
The latest legal challenge brought forward to resurrect a £300million Saudi-led takeover of the club was heard on Wednesday.
Ashley's company, St James' Holdings, filed an anti-competition lawsuit against the Premier League earlier this year, after the collapse of the takeover in the summer of 2020.
The Premier League refused to sanction the takeover, which involved a consortium backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia amid concerns over links to the Saudi state.
In court documents, Ashley had accused the top flight of acting in the interests of 'certain clubs' by not approving the deal and that could 'restrict competition', he claimed.
Evidence presented by David Jewell on behalf of St James' Holding Limited suggested that there has been a "substantial loss that exceeds £10m" based on the club's market value, which has been calculated by "credible other offers the club has received".
Jewell revealed just how fraught the saga had become, stating that "the Premier League hasn't carried through its threat to stop the club from participating in the competition".
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