Manchester City And Premier League End Dispute Over Commercial Deal Regulations

Last Updated:September 08, 2025, 23:31 IST

Manchester City and Premier League settled their dispute over associated party transaction rules, accepting amended regulations amid ongoing financial breach allegations.

Manchester City in the Premier League (X)

Manchester City and the Premier League have resolved their dispute over the rules governing commercial deals. City have accepted that the current rules for ‘associated party transactions’ are valid and binding.

The club had initiated arbitration proceedings on January 20 against these rules, which ensure that deals between teams and entities linked to their ownership are conducted at fair market value. City’s challenge reportedly included criticism of how the Premier League handled shareholder loans under these rules. Both parties have agreed to refrain from further comment on the matter.

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The APT rules were introduced in December 2021, following the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle earlier that year. These rules were successfully challenged by City last year, with a tribunal ruling them unlawful on multiple grounds, including the exclusion of shareholder loans from fair market value assessments. As a result, the Premier League consulted with clubs on amending the rules, with 16 teams voting in favour of the changes at a meeting last November.

City’s acceptance of the amended rules appears to resolve an issue that could have significantly impacted the league if the rules had been weakened. Without APT rules, entities linked to club owners could overvalue sponsorships and other commercial transactions, boosting club revenue and providing an advantage under the league’s profitability and sustainability rules, allowing more expenditure on transfers and player wages.

The assessment of shareholder loans for fair market value was incorporated into the APT rules last November, but the rules apply only to ongoing and future loans, not retrospectively.

City and the Premier League are still awaiting the outcome of an independent commission hearing examining over 100 charges against the club for alleged breaches of the league’s financial rules, which City firmly denies. The hearing took place between September and December last year, following charges brought by the Premier League in February 2023.

(With inputs from AFP)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...

Read More

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