Four Premier League clubs are sweating on their latest financial results as they await to see if they will be deducted points due to Profit and Sustainability Rules
Four Premier League clubs face anxious waits to see if they have satisfied Profit and Sustainability Rules – with potential huge ramifications for the title race.
All 20 teams in the English top flight must submit their latest financial figures by close of business on New Year’s Eve. Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, who are both chasing league leaders Liverpool and eyeing Champions League qualification, could face potential points deductions if found to have recorded losses exceeding the league’s maximum permitted £105m.
That’s also the stark reality facing relegation battlers Everton and Leicester City, who will be hoping to avoid possible punishments that could sink them further into the mire, reports the Mirror.
The league has set a deadline for all 20 clubs to submit their 2023-24 accounts by close of business tomorrow. Once all accounts are in, the league’s accounting experts will delve into the details.
After Everton and Forest both received points deductions last season, other clubs are on tenterhooks fearing further penalties. Despite big-spending Chelsea – who are fourth in the league ahead of Monday night’s matches – being allowed to include the £76m sale of two hotels at Stamford Bridge to a sister company with the same owners in their accounts, the lack of European football is said to have left a significant gap in their finances.
Everton, having sold several players including £10m Ben Godfrey to balance the books, are still under the watchful eye of new owners The Friedkin Group, who are keen to see how previous dealings impact the club’s future.
Sean Dyche’s team currently sit in 16th place, three points clear of the drop zone, following a home defeat to Forest on Sunday afternoon. Forest, on the other hand, are reportedly fairly optimistic about meeting the threshold due to transfers, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad currently second in the table.
Leicester are said to be the most worried. The Foxes reported a loss of £124m for the cycle during their relegation season, and last year’s promotion from the Championship is likely to have been expensive as well.
They triumphed in a legal fight over the summer to avoid starting this season with a penalty, as they were not under the Premier League’s jurisdiction last season.