Lawyers representing Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley have suggested the Premier League threatened to boot the club out of the top flight during the protracted takeover saga.
The latest legal challenge brought forward to resurrect a £300million Saudi-led takeover of the club was heard on Wednesday, with thousands of users watching the live stream at any one time, according to judge Mr Justice Miles.
Ashley's company, St James' Holdings, filed an anti-competition lawsuit against the Premier League earlier this year, after the collapse of the takeover in the summer of 2020.
The Premier League refused to sanction the takeover, which involved a consortium backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia amid concerns over links to the Saudi state.