The Premier League have declined to comment on a huge fresh claim from the Middle East that the takeover at Newcastle United is in trouble.
The takeover bid has been stuck in the owners and directors test since April.
On a day that also saw Mike Ashley address the Toon squad via a Zoom call from the United States to inform them that the final decision still lies with top-flight chiefs, ChronicleLive approached the Premier League this evening to see whether suggestions that Amanda Staveley, the Reuben brothers and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund were unable to approve their bid were accurate.
However, a Premier League official insisted that they would not wade into the public debate, which chief executive Richards Masters said last month would be resolved a month ago.
Since then Saudi Arabia have pulled the plug on beIN Sports and prevented any legal broadcasts of the competition they hope to have a team in from September.
With the broadcasting rights in the middle of a three-year cycle, Saudi Arabia can't get a place around the table in terms of a TV deal until the current arrangement with beIN Sports is over.
beIN Sports anchor Richard Keys - who had previously claimed a deal would go through only this month - said today: "The Premier League know they cannot let the deal go through.
"They are under huge pressure from other sources to enable it to do so but I think it has stalled for the immediate future.
"There may be other negotiations taking place at the moment that could see a decision about a new owner at Newcastle.
"There may be a decision this week but it won't be the Saudis, who have caused nothing but pain here in Qatar."
In his post-match Press conference, Steve Bruce also spoke of the need for the Premier League to come to a conclusion sooner rather than later.
He said: “I’m sure there’s a shared desire to keep taking the club forward – everybody wants the club to do well.
"As I keep saying, we need some clarity about the situation with regard to the takeover because, if that’s not going to happen, we need to know quickly.
"That way, we can make sure it is business as usual.”
