Simon Jordan ignores claims of hypocrisy over Chelsea and Newcastle FFP loopholes

talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has hit back at claims he has been hypocritical regarding Chelsea and Newcastle and their financial situations.

Jordan has previously spoken about Newcastle and its business ties with Saudi Arabia, questioning the nature of transfer agreements between the two.

As the Magpies sought to comply with FFP rules, many criticized the club for using the Saudi Pro League, which is funded by Newcastle's PIF owners, to help secure its financial situation.

However, Chelsea have I also had FFP problems and recently it came to light that the club sold two of its own hotels to a company owned by the Blues' Clearlake Capital group to help comply with regulations.

And some Newcastle fans believe Jordan did not give Chelsea the same treatment as his club, something the talkSPORT expert has denied.

Jim White read out some text messages from Magpies fans live in Jordan, including: “Simon talks about assets… Newcastle selling a player to a Saudi team owned by the same people would also be an asset (like hotels) .Come on Simon, that's total hypocrisy.”

Another wrote: “Why is it that what Chelsea are doing is totally fine but Newcastle selling players to Saudi Arabia is a scandal? You've given Chelsea a pass but Newcastle are coming for a stick.”

Jordan defended himself, saying: “I don't think that's exactly what I said.

“I have criticized the Saudis in context as potentially useful idiots for the Premier League in terms of clubs being able to sell them what they don't want to get out of trouble and that included

“Context is everything. It is much easier to establish a fair market price for a property than a fair market price for a player.

2

“Beauty is often in the eyes of the beholder.

“If you decide a player is worth £50m because he suits your commercial purposes, you don't really have to accumulate much.

“If you do it with a property, it will back it up a little more substantially. The argument is similar but different.

“Context is everything, I think if you frame the conversation we were having about the Saudis and how the Saudis are going to destroy English football and this, that and the other, I think my response at the time was based on: 'Hmm , I'm not sure I'm particularly enamored of this idea.”

There is a suggestion that both Newcastle and Chelsea may have to sell players in the summer to comply with Premier League financial rules.

Conor Gallagher has been heavily linked with a departure at Stamford Bridge, as have Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella.

And with the Blues keen to continue their spending, which has surpassed £1bn under the Clearlake Capital government, it will force them to offload fringe players as soon as possible.

Newcastle find themselves in a similar position with Alexander Isak linked with an exit, although Eddie Howe has insisted this will not happen.

Asked if the Sweden international could leave, Howe said: “We are trying to build a team, we are trying to grow everything, really, upwards and to do it as quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible, it is It is necessary to keep your best players, otherwise you enter a different period where you enter transition and have to start again.

“Your best players, your elite players, are very difficult to recruit, they are very difficult to find, so when we get them, we have to try to keep them.”