Disputes cost Premier League £45m in legal bills

The Premier League has warned its clubs that it spent much than £45m connected ineligible bills past play owed to various disputes complete its financial regulations.

The fig is contained successful papers sent to clubs up of a shareholders' gathering connected Thursday successful cardinal London.

The convention has been embroiled successful a bid of investigations, disciplinary arbitration processes, and appeals. Cases person progressive Manchester City, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Leicester City.

An independent committee proceeding into much than 100 charges of alleged financial norm breaches by Manchester City, pursuing a four-year investigation, is now into its 2nd week. The champions contradict wrongdoing. The proceeding is expected to past 10 weeks.

Clubs astatine Thursday's gathering could beryllium told astir immoderate result successful City's ineligible situation complete nan league's Associated Party Transactions (APTs) rules, which were tightened earlier this twelvemonth aft being introduced successful 2021. They modulate commercialized deals betwixt clubs and bodies linked to their owners.

If an arbitration sheet has recovered successful City's favour, and nan rules person to beryllium amended, different clubs will person to beryllium notified, though nary general announcement is expected.

Sources person indicated that convention bosses are apt to take sides nan spiralling ineligible costs - which are paid for from cardinal costs - by emphasising nan request to uphold rules and referring to nan precocious number of caller cases.