Premier League clubs are considering a major rule change that could have a major impact on Manchester City and other teams near the top of the table.
According to The Times, Premier League clubs are 'seriously considering' introducing a spending limit on English football's top league, which would tie up how much any club can afford. pay for the salary with the TV amount paid to the lowest ranked team.
This 'anchor' proposal would prevent top teams from spending, for example, four times what bottom clubs receive in television money, although the exact percentage is yet to be determined.
The plan will be discussed at the Premier League's annual meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday and is just one of a number of options for cost control amid concerns about the league's competitive balance.
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Sources told The Times the 'anchor' proposal was being 'seriously considered' but unsurprisingly faced 'strong' opposition from some of the Premier League's top teams. Official figures for the 2021/22 season show that 20th place Norwich City receive £100.6 million in television money.
If the wage bill were capped at four times that amount, the maximum would be set at £402.4 million.
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The club with the highest wage bill that season was Manchester United, at £384 million.
Liverpool were second in wages that season, with £366m, while Manchester City were third with £354m.
"It's a very clever concept because it's an adjustable spending limit tied to the club's lowest TV payout. This is also considered a security measure,” a source told The Times.
"There is a lot of concern about what will happen when the new format of the Champions League starts next year - it looks like there will be more money for the participating clubs, as well as for the Club's clubs. New World Cup.
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"There is already a huge financial gap and it is likely to get even bigger. The strength of the Premier League is competition and unpredictability and this proposal could help sustain that."
UEFA also plans a new spending limit
European football's governing body UEFA is also planning to introduce its own ceiling on the total amount that clubs can spend on player salaries and transfers during a season as part of a scheme. a 'radical' plan to address concerns about competitive equilibrium.
It comes amid fears English clubs could become more financially dominant under UEFA's new Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSR). Advertisement
From this year, the FSR will limit club spending to a percentage of their annual revenue.
Clubs playing in Europe are only allowed to spend 90% of their income on salaries and transfers by 2023, then 80% the following year and 70% in 2025.
According to The Times, some of Europe's top football clubs have argued that FSR can help Premier League teams continue to dominate the transfer market, with 16 of Europe's 30 richest clubs coming from England's premier league.
UEFA's preferred solution is a fixed per-season cap to operate in conjunction with the FSR, which places a limit on how much clubs can spend on wages, transfers and agency fees.
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