Premier League clubs have significantly reduced their spending in the current transfer window, with expenditures down by £800 million compared to last summer's record of £2.3 billion.

As reported by the BBC, with the deadline approaching, clubs have so far spent £1.5 billion, and the total spending for 2024 is also lower at £1.6 billion compared to £3.1 billion in 2023.

The decrease in spending has been attributed to compliance with profit and sustainability rules (PSR), which restrict clubs from losing more than £105 million over three years.

Premier League still outspends

The number of deals completed by English top-flight clubs matches that of La Liga, with both leagues seeing 105 transfers. However, this is less than Serie A's 115 and Bundesliga's 135, but more than Ligue 1's 78.

Despite this, the Premier League's total spending still surpasses that of Italy (£617m), France (£529m), Spain (£435m), and Germany (£462m).

Amanda Staveley targets 25% stake in Tottenham

Amanda Staveley, who recently sold her minority stake in Newcastle United, is reportedly eyeing an investment in Tottenham Hotspur, according to The Sun. Staveley, alongside a consortium of Middle Eastern investors, is interested in acquiring a minority stake in the North London club.

Staveley and her husband Mehrad Ghodoussi previously played a key role as intermediaries in the Saudi Arabian government fund PIF's acquisition of Newcastle United, where they held a 6% share before selling it back to PIF last July.

The potential investment in Tottenham would follow a similar pattern to the Newcastle deal, with Staveley and Ghodoussi possibly acting as intermediaries once again. However, unlike the majority takeover at Newcastle, the consortium led by Staveley is initially looking to secure a 25% stake in Spurs.

£590M Raised

Forbes currently values Tottenham at £2.8 billion, which would place the value of a 25% stake at approximately £715 million. Staveley's investment fund, PCP Capital Partners, has reportedly already raised £590 million for the venture.

While the current strategy seems to be focused on a minority stake, it is not dismissed that this could be a stepping stone towards seeking a majority share in the future.

According to a report by French newspaper L’Equipe, Olympique Lyonnais, has placed the majority of its squad on the transfer market. This move is part of an effort to meet the club's financial sales target before the transfer window closes.

Lyon's goal is to generate 100 million euros ($111 million), and as per L’Equipe, they still require 75 million euros to achieve this objective. The club has been active in the transfer market, spending 134 million euros over the past two months, which is more than any other French club.

Reuters reached out to Olympique Lyonnais for comment on the report, but a spokesperson for the club stated that they do not comment on market rumors.

Pledges €100M Sales

Last month, Lyon assured the financial authority of Ligue 1 that it would reach 100 million euros in player sales this summer, thereby avoiding additional scrutiny from the league's financial watchdog.

In December of last year, Lyon raised over 300 million euros to refinance its debt. The club is part of Eagle Football Group, an investment holding company listed in Paris with stakes in several football clubs across different countries.

Guardiola calls for swift resolution to Manchester City's financial charges

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called for a prompt resolution to the club's 115 charges of alleged financial breaches, as reported by several media.

The Premier League is set to hear the case next month, and Guardiola has expressed his desire for the matter to be settled quickly to avoid derailing the team's season.

"Deep in my heart, I want this sorted quickly," Guardiola stated, emphasizing his hope that the independent panel will soon deliver its findings. He also noted that many have already passed judgment on the club before the hearing.

Accept ruling

According to the Independent, Guardiola also insisted that Manchester City will accept the results of the hearing.

“I wish, from the deep in my heart, go to the trial, the independent panel - and I say again, independent panel - and as soon as possible, release what happened and we will accept like always we have done,” he said according to the newspaper.

The charges against Manchester City include a range of alleged financial irregularities spanning several years.

Reports of an imminent deal for John Textor to buy Farhad Moshiri’s majority shareholding in Everton are understood to be premature according to multiple sources connected to a possible transaction, reports senior correspondent, James Corbett.

Textor was reported by the Guardian to have held talks with Everton owner Farhad Moshiri in London on Tuesday and again in Liverpool on Wednesday, with “an agreement expected by end of week”.

It has also been reported that Textor has been granted exclusivity in takeover talks, although this has not been confirmed by Everton.

However, any deal to buy the Mersey giants is dependent on a £200 million loan to the Friedkin Group (TFG) being repaid in full.

No contact from Textor

TFG pulled out of takeover talks last month after uncertainty over a legal battle pertaining to existing loans to previous suitors, 777 Partners. However, TFG advanced the club around £200 million in loans to refinance debt and enable Everton to complete construction of their new stadium. The loans are secured against the new development.

Sources close to the Friedkin family told Off The Pitch that they have not agreed anything with Textor, nor even “approached by Textor with any kind of proposal.”

“They need to be paid out in full for any change of ownership to happen.”

Textor, who is owner of Crystal Palace, is still be evaluating any potential deal. It is understood that talks with existing lenders would only occur later in the timeframe.

Serie A blackout in France to enter second week with no rights deal in sight

The coverage blackout of Serie A matches in France is set to continue into this weekend’s round of fixtures, with the Italian league still yet to reach an agreement on the sale of the rights, according to a report from L'Équipe.

Negotiations between Serie A and broadcasters in France are yet to be concluded, with the distance understood to be still too great between the demands of Serie A and the stance of the French channels.

DAZN and beIN Sports have positioned themselves in the talks and a third suitor is also said to be interested in acquiring the rights.

Parma vs AC Milan

With a deal still yet to be struck, it means that matches in the second gameweek, beginning on Saturday at 6:30pm with Parma vs AC Milan and Udinese vs Lazio, will not be broadcast on any channel in France.

Serie A has sold its broadcast rights for the 2024/25 season in England, Spain and Germany, with only France now missing among the major European markets.

American businessman John Textor is reported to be in Liverpool to hold further talks with Everton owner Farhad Moshiri over a proposed takeover of the club, and a deal is now expected to be agreed by the end of this week.

According to The Guardian, Textor is understood to have arrived in London on Tuesday before travelling to Liverpool yesterday to meet Moshiri, with sources close to the deal anticipating it could be agreed in the next few days.

The terms are the same as in the offer made on 1st June in the previous round of bidding, and Textor is said to be confident that arranging a financing deal for Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock could allow him to delay completing the takeover until as late as January.

Crystal Palace stake

Textor, who owns French Ligue 1 side Lyon, Botafogo in Brazil and RWD Molenbeek in Belgium through his company Eagle Football Holdings, became the third party to be granted a period of exclusivity by Everton last week.

A potential complication could be the requirement of the US billionaire to sell his 45 per cent stake in Crystal Palace in order to comply with Premier League rules. A bid from compatriots Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who already own 18 per cent stakes in Palace, for around £100 million is thought to have been rejected.

Tottenham Hotspur top English club in 2024 Fair Game Index

Tottenham Hotspur have been named as England’s best-run football club by the annual Fair Game Index, as four other Premier League clubs made the English top 10 for 2024 – Manchester United (second), Brentford (fourth), Fulham (seventh) and Liverpool (tenth).

Tottenham had an overall score of 68.2 out of 100, and there were five clubs from the EFL in the English top 10, with League One Cambridge United leading this contingent as the third-placed team and the top-ranked club in the EFL.

However, in the combined English and Scottish rankings, Scottish clubs dominated the top ten. Celtic were top with a score of 80.6, with Tottenham in second. Hearts were third, followed by Manchester United, Hibernian, Aberdeen, St Mirren, Motherwell, Kilmarnock and Cambridge United.

Financial sustainability

Now in its third iteration, the Fair Game Index analyses the financial sustainability, good governance, equality and ethical standards, and fan and community engagement of English and Scottish men’s football clubs.

In 2023, the Fair Game Index examined the 92 clubs from the top four divisions in England. This year, 206 fell under the spotlight, with the National League, National League North and National League South, and the top four divisions in Scotland now included.

Paris Saint-Germain are under growing pressure to resolve the dispute with their former star striker Kylian Mbappé over his claim of €55 million in unpaid wages after his lawyers referred the matter to the LFP and UEFA, French media have reported.

The Ligue 1 champions are said to owe the France captain, who made his debut for new club Real Madrid last week, the final payment of a €36 million signing bonus, the last three months of his salary and an ‘ethics bonus’ for the period of April-June 2024.

It was reported in June that Mbappé’s lawyers had put PSG on notice over the issue and yesterday Le Monde reported that the dispute has now been passed to the legal committee of the LFP and, through an intermediary of the French Football Federation (FFF), to UEFA.

Champions League place at risk

The LFP legal committee has the power to impose a transfer ban on PSG until the situation has been resolved, while UEFA can cancel a club’s licence to play in European competition if proof has not been provided that they have no salary arrears – meaning the French giants could be prevented from playing in the Champions League.

PSG argue that Mbappé’s wage arrears are justified by the “commitments” made by the player to renounce them in the event of his departure as a free agent. The forward moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer after his PSG contract expired.

Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo has said the league is looking for ways to ensure its transfer market closes before the start of the season in future amid concerns about the current timings.

The new Italian top-flight campaign began on Saturday, with the transfer deadline arriving at midnight on 30th August, in line with most of the rest of Europe. As a result, several clubs are being forced to leave out players who are the subject of transfer negotiations.

Speaking to Radio Serie A, De Siervo said: "It is not utopian to start after the transfer market". He also revealed that the league is continuing to speak with others in Europe and beyond in an attempt to resolve the issue.

No agreement with LaLiga

“We tried to compare ourselves with the European leagues, but the Spanish LaLiga was categorical in this regard and we were unable to find an agreement,” De Siervosaid. “In spite of ourselves, we had to accept to go until 30th August for the market to close.”

He added: “We have also opened a dialogue with the Saudi Pro League that goes in the direction of postponing the start of the championships after the transfer market”.

Ex-Chinese FA vice president jailed for 11 years for taking bribes

Two more former Chinese football officials have been handed severe sentences as the impact of the corruption scandal that has hit the game across the country in recent months continues to play out.

According to a report from state news agency Xinhua, Li Yuyi, the former vice president of the Chinese FA, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined 1 million yuan ($139,579) for taking bribes.

Xinhua reported that Fu Xiang, a former director of the sport’s administrative centre in provincial capital Wuhan and vice-chairman of the Wuhan FA, has also been sentenced to 11 years in prison by a court in Hubei after being found guilty of embezzlement, and taking and giving bribes.

High-profile prosecutions

The sentences are the latest in a string of high-profile prosecutions carried out against high-ranking members of the Chinese FA, and follow investigations into more than a dozen high-level football officials in the country since November 2022.

In March, a former chief of the Chinese FA was sentenced to life in prison for accepting more than $10 million in bribes, in one of the biggest anti-corruption probes in the sport in years.
 

VfB Stuttgart are reportedly set to receive a cash injection of around €20 million this month following the completion of the second tranche of Porsche’s acquisition of a 10.8 per cent stake in the club.

The €41.1 million agreement was first unveiled last June, when the Bundesliga club announced a sponsorship package worth up to €100 million with Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and MHP.

However, Porsche’s acquisition of a stake was held up by a series of delays before the German Football League (DFL) gave its approval this January. Porsche acquired the first 5 per cent that month, leading to the first injection of around €20 million.

Supervisory board

According to Kicker, the document confirming the second tranche of the investment was certified last week and signed by Porsche board members Lutz Meschke and Albrecht Reimold, who now also sit on VfB Stuttgart’s supervisory board.

The completion of the deal means that Porsche and Mercedes-Benz now each own just over 10 per cent of VfB Stuttgart, with sports goods company Jako holding 1 per cent and the e.V. the rest.

Ed Sheeran acquires 1.4 per cent stake in Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town have announced that the English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran – a lifelong fan of the club – has acquired a minority stake in the newly promoted Premier League side.

In a statement, Ipswich said Sheeran has bought a 1.4 per cent stake, and as part of the agreement will have long-term use of an executive box at Portman Road. The artist will not join the board “as this is a passive and minority investment only,” the club added.

Sheeran has been the front-of-shirt sponsor for the Ipswich men’s and women’s teams since 2021, and has acquired his shares through Gamechanger 20 Ltd.

“Not a voting shareholder”

Sheeran said: “I am really excited to have bought a small percentage of my hometown football club. … I’m not a voting shareholder or a board member, this is just me putting some money into the club I love and them returning the gesture.”

Ipswich chairman Mark Ashton added: “The support Ed and his team have shown us over the last three years has been nothing short of remarkable and for him to make this investment in the club feels like the natural progression in our relationship.”

American businessman John Textor is in exclusive talks to buy a majority stake in Everton Football Club from current owner Farhad Moshiri.

According to The Athletic, Textor has agreements in place with Moshiri and Everton, although Moshiri's spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

The potential acquisition of Everton by Textor follows after The Friedkin Group (TFG)'s withdrawal from purchasing Moshiri's 94 percent stake due to concerns over the club's £200 million debt to 777 Partners, another investment firm that had previously considered a takeover.

Must divest Crystal Palace stake

Textor, who already holds a 45 percent stake in Crystal Palace through his Eagle Football Group, must sell this share to comply with Premier League rules that prohibit owning stakes in two clubs within the same division.

The businessman's move towards Everton comes after he engaged Raine Group to find a buyer for his stake in Crystal Palace and expressed interest in other English clubs. To proceed with the Everton deal, Textor would need to address TFG's £200 million loan to Everton.

Major overhaul in English women's football to boost growth

Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), a new company, has taken over the management of England's top women's football leagues, the Women’s Super League and the Women’s Championship, from the Football Association (FA).

This major structural overhaul aims to capitalize on the growing popularity of women's football in England and unlock new commercial opportunities to further develop the professional game.

According to a report from Finincial Times, the national team's recent successes, including winning Euro 2022 and finishing as runners-up in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, have significantly boosted the sport's profile.

Nikki Doucet, a former investment banker appointed as chief executive last year, highlighted the "unprecedented growth" in women's football in England, with increased fan engagement and rising match attendance.

Premier League Backs WPLL

The Premier League has supported this transition by providing a £20 million interest-free loan to WPLL and will share expertise across various operational areas. The Premier League will also hold a board seat at WPLL until the loan is repaid.

Premier League CEO dismisses overseas matches

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters has made it clear that there are currently no plans to play league matches overseas, despite ongoing legal proceedings that could potentially allow for such games in the future.

Speaking before the start of the 2024-25 season, Masters addressed the case between U.S. event promoter Relevant Sports and FIFA, which may lead to clubs being permitted to play official league games outside their home countries.

According to a report by The Athletic, Masters stated, "I need to say there are no plans to play matches abroad in the Premier League." He emphasized that the topic has not been discussed at a shareholders' meeting since the proposal of a 39th game in 2008, known as the '39th game' proposal.

Criticising FIFA

Masters also expressed concerns over FIFA's decision-making process, particularly regarding the introduction of a new Club World Cup in 2025 and the expansion of the World Cup in 2026.

He criticised FIFA for not consulting leagues and players' unions adequately on decisions that significantly impact the global football calendar and player welfare.

UEFA turns to supercomputer for complex draw

UEFA has introduced a supercomputer to help conduct its draw on Friday for European club competitions, in an indication of how complex its new formats will be for fans to understand, reports senior correspondent James Corbett.

The competition format for the Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues undergoes major changes this season, expanding to 36 teams in a league-style competition. The traditional group stage is replaced by a structure where clubs face eight different opponents, but all 36 teams will be ranked in a single table, regardless of who they play

But the system of organising the draw is so complex that UEFA has had to bring in a hybrid of a manual and digital draw. It has partnered with AE Live, a digital solutions provider, and EY as its audit partners for the event.

UEFA Promises 'New Era'

As previously reported by Off The Pitch, UEFA has struggled to meet financial targets in selling TV rights as it faces competition from the EPL, a declining rights market, and broadcasters who have struggled to buy into its new format.

In a media presentation on Wednesday, UEFA were upbeat describing it as a “new era” for its competitions promising “more matches involving teams of equal strength, more unpredictability and more top-level clashes right from the beginning.”

Surge in European football sponsorship deals

According to SponsorUnited's European Football Marketing Partnerships 2023–24 report, brand investments and sponsorship deals in European football have seen a significant increase, more than doubling the growth rate from the previous season.

The number of brand sponsors grew by 22% this season, with almost 6,000 deals recorded, marking a 20% increase from the prior season and an 11% decrease in churn rate.

The trend towards exclusive single-club partnerships has surged, with 88% of brands opting for such deals, resulting in over 3,800 different brands committing to individual football clubs. This is a 23% increase from last season. Serie A and LaLiga clubs have now surpassed Premier League clubs in sponsorship deals.

Remarkable follower growth

The top five growing teams have significantly outpaced follower growth across all teams, with Real Madrid CF leading with an addition of 54 million followers, largely due to the presence of high-profile players such as Vini Jr.

Coca-Cola remains the top sponsor in European football with 39 deals, while construction leads brand categories with nearly 800 sponsorships.
 

Premier League CEO Richard Masters has declared “it is time” for the case against Manchester City over 115 alleged breaches of the league’s rules to “resolve itself” as the long-awaited hearing looks set to begin next month.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Masters refused to be drawn on the timeline of the hearing but said it was clear the case against the eight-time Premier League champions needed to be resolved for the good of the league.

“It’s been going on for a number of years and I think it is self-evident that the case needs to be heard and answered,” he said.

Potential decision by early 2025

ESPN has reported that the hearing is pencilled in to open on 16th September, while sources with understanding of the process have told The Daily Telegraph a verdict is certain by the end of the new season, with some suggesting a potential decision by early in the new year.

City have always denied any wrongdoing over the 115 charges and say they have “irrefutable evidence” that will clear them. They have employed Lord Pannick KC to lead the club’s defence against the charges.

Leicester feud with Premier League over PSR could drag on into next year

Leicester City’s bitter feud with the Premier League over an alleged breach of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) may not be resolved until next year, according to a report from The Daily Telegraph.

Last season’s EFL Championship title winners are facing a possible points deduction after being charged with breaking the rules back in March, but it is understood a verdict is likely to be months away.

It is believed the hearing may not take place until later this year, with the prospect of appeals and further legal procedures then prolonging the case into the second half of the season.

Strong and realistic defence

Sources have claimed the sanctions could be significant, though Leicester are said to believe they have a strong and realistic defence and are hopeful of being deducted no more than six points.

PSR allows clubs to make losses of £105 million over a three-year period. Leicester reported record losses of £92.5 million for 2021/22 and then an £89.7 million deficit for 2022/23, which the club is expected to argue was the result of mitigating circumstances, including unforeseen relegation.

OTP Player Valuation Tool expands with three new leagues

Ahead of the new season, Off The Pitch is excited to announce an expansion of our Player Valuation Tool. Our coverage is expanded to also include the Argentine Primera Division, Turkish Super Lig, and Saudi Pro League.

These leagues have been handpicked for their growing influence in the global transfer market, making them the natural extension to the ten leagues we already covered (the Big 5 leagues, the English Championship, Dutch Eredivisie, Portuguese Primeira Liga, Belgian Pro League, and the Brazilian Serie A).

With these new additions, the tool now offers precise valuation estimates for over 7,300 players across thirteen leagues updated on a monthly basis over the season.

Expanding the training dataset

We have also refined the underlying algorithms of the tool by increasing their complexity and expanding the training dataset with 81% more real-world transfers. These improvements ensure that our valuations are sharper and more accurate than ever.

The new tool crowns Jude Bellingham as the world’s most valuable player at €194 million. However, his teammates Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr., along with Erling Haaland, follow closely behind and may challenge that title as the season unfolds.

The hearing against Manchester City over 115 alleged breaches of Premier League rules is reportedly due to start next month, with the outcome potentially due early in the new year.

The independent commission had been expected to start in November but sources with knowledge of the case have told The Times it is now due to begin in mid-to-late September, unless there are further legal delays.

It is understood the outcome of City’s separate legal case brought against the Premier League’s associated party transaction rules (APT) is set to be revealed in the next two weeks, which would then allow the 115 charges hearing to take place earlier.

Some successes

There is said to be a belief that City have achieved some successes in the APT arbitration hearing. In that case, the Premier League champions have claimed they are victims of “discrimination” from rival clubs.

City have always denied any wrongdoing in relation to the 115 charges and say they have “irrefutable evidence” that will clear them. They have employed Lord Pannick KC to lead the club’s defence against the charges.

John Textor confirms interest in Everton takeover

John Textor has confirmed he is interested in acquiring a majority shareholding in Everton and has acknowledged he would need to sell his 45 per cent stake in Crystal Palace before initiating a bid.

In an interview with The Daily Mirror, the American businessman said: “We have made clear our interest in having a majority interest in a UK club, whether it is Championship or Premier League. Yes, we are looking at Everton along with everybody else.”

Textor, who owns French Ligue 1 side Lyon, Botafogo in Brazil and RWD Molenbeek in Belgium through his company Eagle Football Holdings, added: “I would have to rationalise my interest in Palace before I could close anything [with Everton].”

Fresh bid

Last week, The Guardian reported that Textor had made a fresh bid for Everton, with the terms believed to be the same as when he made an offer on 1st June in the previous round of bidding. Dan Friedkin, the US billionaire owner of AS Roma, withdrew from a takeover deal last month after carrying out due diligence.

Textor, who paid £87.5 million for a 40 per cent stake in Palace in 2021 before extending it to around 45 per cent when he bought Lyon a year later, is understood to have held talks with another Premier League club and one in the EFL Championship over a potential takeover in recent weeks.

Reading takeover: US businessman Rob Couhig nears £30 million deal

American financier Rob Couhig is closing in on a deal to buy EFL League One club Reading from Chinese businessman Dai Yongge, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Couhig, who previously owned another League One side, Wycombe Wanderers, is understood to be leading a consortium in advanced talks to acquire Reading for around £30 million.

Sources familiar with the proposed deal told Bloomberg that under terms being discussed, the investor group will pay off Reading’s existing debt with third-party creditors, and an agreement could be reached within days.

Complexities in talks

According to the report, Couhig had aimed to reach a deal before Reading’s first match of the new season against Birmingham City last weekend, but complexities in the negotiations, including who owns Reading’s stadium, have delayed the deal’s progress.

Dai acquired Reading in 2017 and the club has struggled financially in recent years. Under Dai’s ownership, the club has been docked a total of 18 points for breaking the EFL’s financial rules, contributing to its fall down to League One.

Serie B avoids blackout after striking three-year deal with DAZN

Serie B has avoided a blackout of coverage ahead of the start of the new season on Friday after agreeing a deal with DAZN for a “co-exclusive” package of matches over the next three years.

The UK-based streaming platform confirmed the deal in a statement and said it would continue to show all the league’s matches. It comes after Serie B re-launched its domestic broadcast rights invitation to tender (ITT) last week.

The reserve price per broadcaster was reportedly lowered to €13 million per season, far lower than the reported €27 million per season Serie B was receiving from DAZN and Sky in the final year of the previous three-year deal.

Serie A Femminile rights

Meanwhile, DAZN and Italian free-to-air broadcaster Rai have bought the rights to show the women’s Serie A Femminile for the next three years as extensions to existing agreements in both cases.

DAZN will show all the matches of the 10-team league, while Rai will broadcast one match per game week, and will also cover the women’s Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup knockout competitions.

PSG minority stake acquired by NBA star Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant has become a minority shareholder of Paris Saint-Germain through the NBA star’s investment firm Boardroom.

In a post on X, Boardroom confirmed that the two-time NBA champion has invested in the French champions “through Boardroom Sports Holdings, LLC via Arctos Partners, the strategic minority investor in the club.”

Sources with knowledge of the agreement told The Athletic that Boardroom has bought a “single digit millions” shareholding through a separate financial vehicle created by Arctos, the US-based private investment firm which purchased a 12.5 per cent stake in PSG last year.

New training centre

Durant took time away from his Olympic schedule to visit PSG’s new training centre at Poissy, west of Paris, last week, and met with the club’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

Sources with knowledge of his visit told The Athletic he was accompanied by his manager and co-founder of Boardroom, Rich Kleiman. The two sides “presented” to each other regarding the agreement.