Brighton owner Tony Bloom has urged rival clubs to cease violating spending regulations to put an end to the ongoing points deduction controversies.
Last season, Everton incurred an eight-point deduction, and Nottingham Forest received a four-point penalty for breaching profit and sustainability regulations (PSR).
Around £245 million was reportedly spent by clubs by 30 June, dubbed as the ‘unofficial transfer deadline day’, marking the transition between accounting periods.
It will be several months before the Premier League confirms whether any clubs failed to comply with spending rules and face charges.
Leicester, recently promoted, face potential sanctions for exceeding loss limits over a three-year period up to the 2022-23 season, when they were relegated.
Brighton, on the other hand, have no PSR concerns following a record £122.8 million profit last season, allowing them to reduce their owner’s interest-free loan balance to £373.3 million.
Bloom expressed discomfort with the Premier League’s current predicament but believes there were no viable alternatives.
“I don’t like the idea of clubs having points deducted in the middle of the season,” Bloom said. “However, if rules have been broken the Premier League has to apply the rules.
“It would be much better if clubs didn’t put the Premier League in the situation where points deductions are necessary.”
The current profit and sustainability rules will remain effective for the upcoming season, alongside an alternative ‘anchoring’ cost control system operating in a preliminary phase, possibly to be fully implemented by 2025-26.
This, coupled with Manchester City’s legal dispute regarding associated party transactions (APT), which has caused division among clubs, the suspension of discussions on a new funding agreement with the EFL, and the potential introduction of a Football Regulator, indicates that the Premier League is facing uncertain times.
“The Premier League is in a superb position but there are some issues, which hopefully will get resolved over the next one or two years,” Bloom said.
“For us, it is background noise. The 30 June situation is weird and with the new rules, that won’t be happening again.
“We know what we need to do and we don’t let that [other issues] affect us.”