Premier League clubs voted on Monday to impose a temporary freeze on any of them signing commercial and sponsorship deals with businesses that have links to their club’s owners. The decision was made at an emergency meeting, after concerns were raised that Newcastle United’s new Saudi Arabian owners could sign lucrative deals with Saudi state-owned companies. Some 80 per cent of Newcastle is now owned by Saudi Arabia’s state sovereign wealth fund. Eighteen clubs voted in favour of the freeze, while Newcastle voted against and Manchester City abstained after their lawyers advised them the vote was unlawful. The Premier League and Newcastle’s owners have declined to comment Premier League financial fair play rules allow clubs to make maximum losses of £105m over a rolling three-year period. Any artificially inflated commercial deals would increase revenues coming into a club and allow them to get around the rules and spend more than they are allowed. The temporary freeze will be ...