Simon Jordan has criticised the Premier League's financial regulations as 'grotesquely unfair', saying they prevent Newcastle United from challenging the established elite. The former Crystal Palace owner believes the rules are designed to protect the league's traditional top clubs.
Newcastle forced to sell key players
Newcastle have sold Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali to Barcelona and Tottenham respectively for a combined total of almost £170m. The departures have had a knock-on effect, with captain Bruno Guimaraes joining Arsenal in a £75m deal, while head coach Eddie Howe stepped down last month.
The club have invested in young players, but expectations of Champions League qualification have been tempered ahead of the new season. Meanwhile, Tottenham, who finished 17th in the last two seasons, have been able to spend around £250m on new players, as their revenue outstrips Newcastle's.
Jordan: 'No one else can challenge'
Jordan told talkSPORT: "I felt that the Newcastle weren't going to be in a position to challenge the legacy clubs because they're not being allowed to." He added: "It's grotesically unfair that the Liverpools, the Arsenals, the Manchester Uniteds, Man City's, the Spurs can spend as much money as they wish."
"No one else can because they can generate the turnover because they're now seeded. So Aston Villa and Newcastle can get on with it." He said clubs cannot "do what Chelsea did" or "do what Man City did", which was to break up the orthodoxy of Arsenal and Manchester United.
"You can't build a team to challenge in perpetuity and be a top side. It is absolutely the fault of the Man United Arsenals because they dressed up the idea of financial fair play as some governance to retain the sanity of the game and it's nothing of the sort."
Revenue-boosting plans
Newcastle are examining ways of increasing revenue, including expanding St James' Park or building a new stadium, which would allow more fans to attend games and potentially offer income away from matchdays. However, a decision is not expected any time soon, with consultations continuing on the best way forward.
