Harry Redknapp has offered his own verdict on Newcastle United's owners following the club's recent takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Many have passed judgement on the Magpies new owners, with the country royal accused of cleaning up their own image by taking over United just last year.
With thousands of fans congregating outside St James Park following the news back in October, former Portsmouth boss Redknapp has insisted it is nothing new to see Arab states influencing the world of sport in the aid of a 'sportswashing'.
"I think it's been going on a long time, when we look back at people who cleaned up their image by buying football clubs coming here to England its something that's been going on a while," began the former Spurs boss when speaking to Piers Morgan on his new show 'Piers Morgan Uncensored'.
"The Saudi's coming here and the things that have gone on in their country but they've come here and takeover Newcastle and we can all feel strongly about what's happened in their country but you go and tell all those Geordies, the 55,000 that turn up every week at Newcastle, they're not suddenly going to stop going.
"The players are being offered large sums of money to go and play at this new goal tour and they're going to take it. Unfortunately that's the way the world works.
"Those Newcastle fans who go and watch their team are not in the slightest bit bothered where the money comes from, as long as they are buying better players and winning more games and going up in the league. How many times have we now seen it in this country."
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