Eddie Howe has dropped a hint that Newcastle are prepared to battle with Premier League rivals over a proposed change in rules. A vote will take place later this month which is designed to prevent the Magpies from signing players on loan from some Saudi Pro League clubs.
Newcastle have been linked with a January move for former Wolves star Ruben Neves. Howe is in the market for a midfielder following the 10-month ban imposed on Sandro Tonali for breaching betting rules.
Neves joined Saudi club Al-Hilal in the summer following six years at Molineux. Al-Hilal are one of four clubs owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which also owns Newcastle.
Rival teams in England are unhappy that Newcastle could potentially use those Saudi clubs to sign players through a back-door method. Chiefs from every Premier League side will vote on November 21 to bring in a temporary ban to stop teams from loaning players from clubs under the same ownership in the January window.
Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli are the three other clubs also owned by the PIF. Those teams can boast having the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, N’Golo Kante, Sadio Mane and Karim Benzema.
Howe addressed the reports for the first time at his press conference on Friday morning. Asked if Newcastle would challenge the proposals, Howe said: “You can make that assumption.”
Howe wouldn’t go into much detail about the potential impact of the changes and what they could mean for Newcastle moving forward. He said: “I will let you decide why those rules are coming in.
“That’s not for me to comment on. We will work within the rules the Premier League set and we have to respect those rules, whatever they are.
“I have to be careful and draw a line on what I can talk about. I’m not involved in that world, I’m involved in the football world. We want to compete on the pitch within the rules that are set for us.
“It’s difficult for me to give you chapter and verse because it’s not a situation I’m in any control over. I’m reacting to what is happening. It’s probably better that you draw conclusions to that, not me.
“I wouldn’t know the motives behind the rule changes coming in. It’s very difficult for me to give a definitive opinion, we just have to react to the changes as they come in.”
