Former Premier League midfielder Craig Burley has insisted that Newcastle United fans should not care about moral questions over their prospective new owners.
A consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund are on the verge of buying Newcastle from Mike Ashley, with a £300m deal mooted.
The Premier League is mulling whether to approve the takeover and if the deal goes through then Newcastle will have new custodians, with Saudi Arabia controlling 80 per cent of the club.
Already questions have been raised about Saudi Arabia’s involvement, with protests having come from several quarters over Newcastle's prospective owners.
However, Burley insisted that given the owners many football clubs in Europe have, Newcastle fans have no reason to feel any guilt about having Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund as their owners.
He believes Magpies fans should not care where the money is coming from as long as the club are well run.
Burley said on ESPN FC: “I know there has been a lot of talk about where the money is coming from, but why should everybody be the moral paratrooper right now?
“Football crossed that boundary a long time ago.
“When you see the ownership of football clubs around the world, particularly around Europe, there is no moral fibre in general to who owns the club. It is who’s got the most money.
“I think Newcastle United fans won’t really give a jot where their ownership comes from.”
Newcastle could have substantial funds to splash in the transfer market if the takeover is approved by the Premier League.
