Image rights payment dispute between AFC Bournemouth and Jordon Ibe set to become test case and could lead to new clauses in player deals

Former AFC Bournemouth player Jordon Ibe is taking legal action against the club over the withholding of image rights payments after his career nosedived during the last year of his contract.
Bournemouth argue they cannot make the payments until they are satisfied they wouldn’t be in breach of HMRC regulations, and sports lawyers believe the case could bring greater clarity around rules for both clubs and players.
Why it matters: Image rights agreements have become increasingly common among top-flight players, with many setting up companies to exploit their commercial appeal.
The perspective: EPL and HMRC have made a series of agreements over image rights, but if it goes to court Ibe’s case would be the first to examine whether a club should still have to pay when a player’s commercial value has fallen dramatically.

In January this year Choongadunga Limited, a company majority owned by English footballer Jordon Ibe, filed a claim against his former club AFC Bournemouth alleging that the club failed to pay to the company amounts contractually due in relation to an image rights agreement for the last 12 months of his four-year deal with the club.

Bournemouth had gr

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