The Premier League’s traditional ‘Big Six’ has reportedly been instructed to ‘pay up’ as part of the £130million rescue package being organised for the rest of the football pyramid. Tensions are running high in board rooms around England currently following the point deduction imposed on Everton earlier this week.
The Premier League is hoping to strike a deal with the lower divisions over the wealth gap as soon as possible, with how the money is filtered down the chain a major cause for concern for many clubs that are in desperate need of more regular financial backing.
A meeting between the 20 top-tier shareholders in the Premier League is set to take place on Tuesday, in what is a crucial day for clubs at all levels.
According to The Telegraph, tensions are set to resurface during the meeting due to the point deduction that Everton were hit with for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.
Clubs are in agreement that the method by which money is filtered down the football pyramid must be reviewed, but there is a divide between the ‘Big Six’ and the rest of the Premier League. The smaller sides feel that richer clubs should be contributing more to the solidarity pot, and the idea of a transfer tax has been sounded out that would see a percentage of fees additionally paid when purchasing players.
However, a transfer levy is the more probable outcome at this stage which would be formulated using prize money and other factors. That agreement is expected to be finalised on Tuesday, much to the frustration of some clubs.
There are fears that if merit is highly valued during the formula then top clubs, like Manchester City, may not pay a significant fee towards the overall pot despite recording immense profits year on year – with the Etihad Stadium outfit recording revenues of £712.8m this year.
Everton are among those likely to feel bitter about the situation given that they could be on the cusp of financial insecurity if they are sued by Leicester City, Leeds United and Burnley. Each of the aforementioned clubs are demanding £100m each, despite the club already being in £500m dept. If the Toffees are unable to foot the bill then they could be forced to go into administration, which would see them face an additional nine-point deduction.