Liverpool to push for key rule change which will HURT Man City

Liverpool have been tipped to lead a charge towards BANNING all Associated Party Transactions (APTs) in the Premier League amid Manchester City’s latest legal challenge.

City are taking legal action against the Premier League ahead of November’s hearing into their alleged 115 breaches of financial rules and regulations. 

A two-week private arbitration began on Monday June 10, which could well have a major impact on the outcome of City’s later hearing, which is expected to take six weeks to conclude. 

In their action, City are seeking to end the Premier League’s APT (APT) rules, set up in December 2021 following the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle.

The rules are designed to prevent clubs from signing inflated commercial deals with organisations linked to their owners, instead ensuring deals are independently assessed for fair market value.

City claim the APT rules are unlawful and are seeking damages that could run into the tens of millions. Four of City's top 10 sponsors have got ties to the UAE. 

City claim financial rules hurt them

The club also claim they have been discriminated against on the basis of their Gulf-based ownership and describe the Premier League’s two-thirds majority voting structure as “a tyranny of the majority”.  

City claim the current rules are anti-competitive and restrictive, stating that they punish clubs with “lower-profile sporting histories”. Despite these claims, City have won four Premier League titles in a row and six of the last seven available. 

Only Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp since 2018 have managed to prevent City from taking the crown.  

Liverpool will seek to end APTs

And now financial expert Stefan Borson has weighed in, stating that the Reds will be among the clubs seeking to end APTs once and for all as they have to look out for their own interests. 

“I think Liverpool will be part of a category of clubs who will be some of the most vocal about associated party transaction rules,” he told Football Insider.

“They will be vocal about strengthening every rule around this.

“They will be a key instigator because they don’t have that as a source of revenue.

“They’re not looking to bring in any of FSG’s partners as sponsors and therefore I suspect they would like associated party transactions completely banned.

“We always have to remember, everybody around the table in those Premier League rules are quite entitled to look out for themselves.

“There’s nothing in itself wrong with those clubs looking out for their own interests.”