Manchester City are spearheading resistance to the Premier League’s proposal to provide the English Football League with £1.5bn through a major financial agreement set to be considered by all 20 clubs on Thursday.
The Premier League hopes to put the proposed package, distributed across a 10-year period, to a vote and settle the issue before the new season begins. However, City are believed to have presented an alternative plan because of concerns over how the agreement would be financed.
Several of City’s concerns are reportedly shared by other members of the traditional big six. Those clubs would be expected to contribute more than their Premier League rivals toward the New Deal for Football, although it remains uncertain how many are willing to support City’s position.
City currently have limited support among top-flight clubs as they await the highly anticipated decision of an independent tribunal concerning 115 alleged breaches of financial fair play regulations. This follows the resolution last year of a lengthy legal dispute with the Premier League regarding associated party transaction rules.
Quick Guide
How can I receive breaking sports news alerts?
Show
Open the news app, tap the Profile settings button in the upper-right corner and choose Notifications. You can then enable sports alerts.
If the app is already installed on your device, check that you are using its latest version.
If you do not have the app, visit the iOS App Store on an iPhone or the Google Play store on an Android device and search for the relevant news app.
Thank you for sharing your feedback.
City reportedly frustrated a number of clubs by proposing several last-minute amendments to planned rule changes ahead of the Premier League’s annual general meeting in June. Each amendment was rejected by a vote of 19 to one.
City and several other leading clubs are also thought to oppose the plan to finance the redistribution package by raising the levy on transfer fees from 4% to 6%. Such an increase would place a much greater financial burden on clubs that spend heavily. A ballot will take place on Thursday only if league officials believe the proposal can secure the 14 votes needed for approval. Sources have indicated that executives remain cautiously confident despite the resistance.
The planned contribution averages £150m annually and is broadly unchanged from the £750m five-year package proposed in September 2023, although the duration of the latest offer has been extended to 10 years.
Should the clubs approve the agreement and the EFL accept it, an initial £100m payment would be issued this season. Higher contributions would then follow in later years through the 2035-36 campaign.
Whether the EFL will agree to the Premier League’s opening offer remains uncertain, as its chair, Rick Parry, is believed to be seeking a larger financial package.
Under the proposed arrangement, the EFL would distribute 80% of the New Deal funds to Championship clubs, 12% to League One teams and 8% to League Two sides.
City and the Premier League chose not to provide a statement.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
