White paper would not block Qatari buyout of Manchester United

An enhanced owners’ and directors’ test, one of the central components of a proposed independent regulator for football, would not have prevented the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle and would not block a Qatari buyout of Manchester United, the government has confirmed.

The extent of a regulator’s reach was one of the main concerns raised by the Premier League over a white paper loudly welcomed by the majority of stakeholders. In the case of state ownership of clubs or takeovers by individuals from countries with questionable human rights records, a regulator will stay well away from these contentious issues, however.

Under plans confirmed by government and due to become legislation “as soon as parliamentary time allows”, a regulator would operate in the first five divisions of the men’s game. It would grant clubs a licence to play based on clearing four thresholds: appropriate resources; fit and proper custodians; fan interests; and approved competitions.

The second of these criteria would see current owners’ and directors’ tests applied by the Premier League and EFL replaced with a unified test and with new considerations that include the identification of the ultimate beneficial owner and whether that owner is a “politically exposed person”. The move is intended to bring greater transparency to the often murky world of football ownership. But it would require the intervention of government to prevent a sale on the basis of state ownership or a country’s human rights.

“We recognise we have had significant international investment from all over the world in English football, but what we’re trying to do is get down to who is the original owner and they have to pass the fit and proper person’s test,” the sports minister,