Amnesty International has written to the Premier League saying it 'risks becoming a patsy' unless it takes a serious look at Saudi Arabia's human rights record with regard to the takeover of Newcastle.
The north-east club are reportedly on the verge of being sold to a Saudi-backed consortium which involves Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for around £300million.
It was reported on Tuesday that a non-refundable deposit of £17million has already been paid to current owner Mike Ashley as part of the deal.
The Premier League must decide if the new owners meet the criteria in its owners and directors test, and Amnesty insists unless the league provides thorough justification for its decision to approve the takeover, it will damage its own reputation.