Newcastle's would-be owners PIF have been waiting three months now, as have supporters, for a resolution to finally be found.Mohammed Bin Salman put in a £300m bid to buy the club before lockdown even got underway but now we're through the worst of COVID-19, he's yet to enter the country.A number of roadblocks have wreaked havoc with his desires to buy into English football and it appears as though he's having difficulties overcoming them.It's hardly surprising given what Saudi Arabia have been accused of.They've essentially been stealing the Premier League's product by putting on illegal broadcasts of the top-flight. Though, as investigative reporter Matt Slater claims, they've also been doing that for events like Wimbledon and Formula 1 Grand Prix's.It's hardly surprising that MPs in Britain are reluctant to see the deal go through, but at the end of the day, they're the ones who have put things in the hands of the Premier League.Richard Masters revealed a resolution was close over a week ago now but there have been a lack of updates from him since that moment.
Bruce can laugh all he likes as demonstrated in the image above, but the fact of the matter remains that his job could be at risk if and when PIF finally walk through the door.Though, the takeover has been put into perspective by business journalist and Middle-East expert Ed Clowes.On Tuesday it was announced that the UK would begin selling arms to Saudi Arabia again, provoking joy from Newcastle fans who thought that meant an improvement in relations between the two territories. However, Clowes was of the opinion that this wasn't a good thing at all.He took to Twitter to say:
Evidently, perspective is needed.
GIVEMESPORT'S Matt Dawson says...
Contrary to what Clowes says, it shouldn't really have to be said that the UK giving more arms to Saudi Arabia is a bad thing.
Newcastle supporters have become so embroiled in the takeover that they'll take any piece of news as something that could see the deal finally agreed.
Although it's good for Saudi/British relations for this kind of deal to be in place, the fact it's one that involves weapons isn't good.
This news is rather surprising given the feeling from British MPs only last week when discussing the takeover.
One suggested it would be humiliating if the Premier League allowed PIF to pass the owners' and directors' test but in some senses, it would be contradictory.
Saudi Arabia may be caught in a piracy scandal but that is surely much better than the killing of innocent people in Yemen.
Either way, it's difficult to cross the two issues too much.