The Premier League has a problem, but it’s not ‘just’ Manchester City

As things stand, the Premier League has a problem. The consensus is that it is Manchester City and the threat posed by their current legal cases with the Premier League. That is not the major problem. The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) are becoming a major issue in the game.

Today, SkySports News reported that 6 clubs have to sell players by the end of June. The clubs named at risk of falling foul of the Premier League’s PSR rules are Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.

It defies logic that clubs with owners of such wealth as Aston Villa and Newcastle have to sell players to comply with the current PSR rules. Both clubs have been successful in the last two seasons, both qualifying for the Champions League. From there, both would be expected to start with solid 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 does not allow them. Instead, they may have to sell key players to clubs they want to challenge for in the future. In a league where competition is a major selling point, it doesn’t seem right for clubs to appear held back by a proverbial glass ceiling.

There must surely be a viable solution to this problem in the future. It may be a restructuring of the current PSR and Related Party Transaction (APT) rules governing the Premier League. But maybe that’s not an option. Martyn Ziegler has reported for the Times that a push by Aston Villa to lift the Premier League’s spending caps has been rejected. Where the middle ground is remains to be seen.

Not even Manchester City are advocating the abolition of the current PSR rules. Given UEFA’s current Financial Fair Play rules, this is not an option. As Martyn Ziegler explained via his official X account, it was a change to the Premier League’s APT rules in February that led to City’s subsequent court case against the Premier League. Despite the media coverage, the two issues and Manchester City’s famous ‘115’ case are all completely separate issues. The city’s legal issues will be addressed and resolved in due course.

The Premier League currently has a problem. Currently, PSR rules prevent clubs from growing. While Manchester City are being painted as the villains, they are not the only major problem that seems to be at hand. Clubs like Aston Villa and Newcastle are struggling to achieve goals they seem destined not to achieve. This appears to be a bigger issue than Manchester City’s upcoming legal cases with the Premier League.