Premier League teams vote against ban on loans between clubs with same ownership

Premier League teams have voted against a temporary ban on loan deals between teams with the same ownership in the January transfer window.

Fourteen votes were needed to prevent clubs making related-party loans, however, only 13 clubs voted for the temporary block, with seven opting against it.

It means that, for instance, Newcastle - who were overtaken by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) for £305m in October 2021 - are cleared to sign players from Saudi clubs also owned by PIF.

The Magpies have been linked to former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, who left the Premier League side for Al-Hilal during the summer transfer window for £47 million.

Newcastle are looking to recruit a new midfielder to replace Italian Sandro Tonali who was suspended from football for 10 months in October for breaching betting rules.

When asked about signing players from the Saudi Pro League, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe answered: "Open to signing anyone if they are good enough.”

The proposed temporary block was set to become a temporary measure before a longer-term option could be agreed upon ahead of the 2024 summer transfer window and would have only affected incomings and not outgoings.

PIF own the four leading clubs in Saudi Arabia including Al-Hilal, as well as Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad.

The group provided 80% of the funds to take over the North East club just over two years ago.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media