The result could represent a vital moment in the top four race but behind Sunday afternoon’s meeting of Newcastle United and Manchester United there are questions, concerns and doubts around both clubs’ ownership and the potential reshaping of the sport.
Their meeting, a repeat of the Carabao Cup final, comes at the end of a week in which Premier League chief Richard Masters refused to say whether an investigation had been opened into Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund that owns Newcastle following court submissions on behalf of PIF in a US court case relating to LIV golf.
Meanwhile, 150 miles south of St James’ Park - with more than a helping hand from a merchant bank in New York - talks and thoughts continue around a potential takeover. There is a decent chance of Manchester United being bought by a consortium that denies being a vehicle of the Qatari state but has clear familial links.
