Oliver Dowden responds to Newcastle United takeover questions

Financier Amanda Staveley – who led the consortium which agreed a £300million deal for the club last year – wrote to Dowden, the culture secretary, last week and called for transparency in the takeover arbitration process.

This echoed a call from club owner Mike Ashley for the forthcoming hearing to be held in public.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said last week: “As the governing body in this instance, it is up to the Premier League to come to a conclusion as quickly as possible and with due regard to transparency."

Dowden last week asked for questions on Twitter, and he was inundated with messages from Newcastle fans who want to see the takeover, which was backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, resurrected.

In his response, posted online today, Dowden has called for a speedy and transparent resolution from the Premier League to the long-running saga.

"First of all, I know how deeply rooted that club is, and clubs up and down the country are,” said Dowden.

“That's why I was so firm about resisting the proposals for the European Super League. I know how important clubs are to their communities. That's why I launched a fan-led review. That’s ongoing, and (Chatham and Aylesford MP) Tracey Crouch is meeting with lots of fans.

“In relation to this specific case, of course, that’s for the Premier League to go through their processes. I want them to do that as quickly as possible – and in the most transparent way as possible. That’s the right way to address it."