It was only a matter of time before the first European league took measures to prevent the exodus of talent to the Saudi Pro League, and it had to be the Premier League for that purpose.
Although this will be limited to Newcastle's business, the first steps to prevent the competition from being tampered have been taken, as Premier League execs will vote to veto all moves coming from Saudi Pro League clubs related to Newcastle, who are owned by the Saudi Private Investment Fund (SPIF), which is what happens with most Saudi clubs.
The need for such a move has caught the attention of Premier League execs following Newcastle's interest in signing Rubén Neves on loan from Al Hilal. The club, also part of the SPIF, would be willing to loan the former Wolves footballer until the end of Sandro Tonali's ban, and that is where EPL members could raise any objections.
According to The Athletic, measures will be taken against such moves, with Premier League clubs being forced to approve or ban any transfer coming from the Saudi Pro League to Newcastle. To do so, each decision will need to have two thirds vote (fourteen out of the 19 teams involved).
The document published by the media outlet states that "the top-tier football category in England recommends this temporary measure to protect the integrity of the tournament, as well as to give time to find a long-term solution to this possible problem,".
Tonali, who became Newcastle's record signing last summer, was banned for the next 10 months after admitting to Italian prosecutors he had placed bets in games he had played for AC Milan. By admitting his guilt and negotiating an agreement, the footballer escaped a larger sanction, which could have gone to three years.
