The Premier League has been told to urgently tighten up its ownership rules amid talk Qatar Sports Investments are interested in purchasing a minority stake in Tottenham.
Human rights group Amnesty International insist this week's reports regarding a meeting between Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi should act as a "wake-up call" for the Premier League following the controversial Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle in 2021.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund hold a majority stake in Newcastle through Amanda Staveley's consortium after it eventually passed the league's owners' and directors' test to complete its purchase of the club.
Criticism followed given Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record and its treatment of LGBTQ+ residents. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admitted months after the takeover that a review of the ownership test was taking place.
Amnesty met with the Premier League last year regarding implementing a human rights component into the owners' and directors' test, but any changes are not yet at a stage where they would be ready to be voted through by its 20 members.
It opens the door for QSI to potentially invest in Tottenham or any other Premier League club.
QSI chairman Al-Khelaifi, who is also president of Paris St Germain, met with Levy in London last week but Tottenham deny any discussions over equity of the club occurred.
Nevertheless, Amnesty has warned any possible Qatari investment in Spurs would be more potential sportswashing.
Amnesty International UK's economic affairs director Peter Frankental said in a statement to the PA news agency: "Whether or not these talks are confirmed and actually lead to anything, this is another wake-up call to the Premier League to get its house in order when it comes to the ownership of our top clubs.
"We said before, during and after the hugely controversial Saudi buy-out of Newcastle United that the Premier League needed to significantly tighten up its ownership rules so that those implicated in human right violations couldn't buy into English football as an exercise in sportswashing.
"As we know from the World Cup, Qatar is intensely involved in the use of sport to refashion its image on the international stage, and Qatar's possible involvement with Tottenham should be seen in this context - as more potential sportswashing.
"With the Qatari authorities basking in the glory of the 'best ever' World Cup, there's a danger that limited reforms on migrant workers' rights will quickly unravel and the repression of LGBTQ+ people and women will be overlooked as Qatar's involvement in sport helps it avoid scrutiny on its lamentable human rights record.
"We're not necessarily opposing the further involvement of state-linked overseas financial consortia in English football, whether at Tottenham or anywhere else, but the Premier League must urgently update its ownership rules to ensure they're human rights-compliant and not an open invitation for more sportswashing."
