As it stands the Premier League has a problem. The consensus is it is Manchester City and the threat their current legal cases with the Premier League poses. That isn’t the major problem. The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules are becoming a major issue in the game.
Today SkySports News reported that 6 clubs face having to sell players by the end of June. The clubs named that are in danger of failing to comply with the Premier League’s PSR rules are Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.
BREAKING: Six Premier League clubs face having to sell players before the end of June to comply with profit and sustainability rules 🚨
Sky Sports News understands Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City are the clubs under pressure 👇 pic.twitter.com/JcysBo5Fja
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 6, 2024
The current situation in the Premier League ironically doesn’t appear sustainable.
It defies logic that clubs with owners with such vast wealth like Aston Villa and Newcastle face having to sell players to comply with the current PSR rules. Both clubs have been successful in the past two seasons as they have both achieved Champions League qualification. From there they would both expect to kick on with sound investment and recruitment following a similar model used by Manchester City. In all honesty, they should be allowed to do so. But the current situation they face doesn’t allow it. Instead, they may have to sell key players to clubs they aim to challenge in the future. In a league where competition is a major selling point, it doesn’t seem right that clubs appear to be held back by a proverbial glass ceiling.
There must surely be a viable solution to this issue going forward. It may be a restructuring of the current PSR and Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules that govern the Premier League. But perhaps that isn’t an option. Martyn Ziegler has reported for the Times that a push from Aston Villa to raise spending limits in the Premier League has been rejected. Where the middle ground is remains to be seen.
Not even Manchester City are pushing to abolish the PSR rules and it isn’t an option.
Not even Manchester City are advocating for an abolishment of the current PSR rules. Given UEFA’s current financial fair play rules that isn’t an option. As Martyn Ziegler explained via his official X account it was an amendment to the Premier League’s APT rules in February that led to City’s upcoming legal case against the Premier League. Despite the media coverage the two issues and Manchester City’s famous ‘115’ case are all separate issues entirely. City’s legal cases will be dealt with and have a resolution in time.
A time-line explainer around the Premier League’s associated party transactions: pic.twitter.com/dZ98tlqVD5
— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) June 6, 2024
The Premier League as it stands currently has a problem. It’s currently PSR rules are impeding clubs from rising. While Manchester City are painted as the villain they aren’t the only major issue that appears to be at hand. Clubs such as Aston Villa and Newcastle are striving for goals that they seem destined to fall short of. That appears to be a bigger issue than Manchester City’s upcoming legal cases with the Premier League.
Good article. City have always been the bad guys since UEFA charged us and as a city fan i love the hate from jealous rivals. The rules are not fit for purpose and the premier league should quickly replace them i dont know what with but deffo not Eufa rules. Villa are going to find it really hard to buy any players as they are now under the eufa rule 80% revenue rule same as united and Chelsea. but villa revenue is no where near any English team playing in Europe comps But what is worse this rule is also flawed the big teams with big revenues usually get in champions league where the prize money is far better than Europa league and the conference