Macquarie close to overtaking Barclays as Premier League's preferred lender amid cash flow crunch

The number of loans taken out by Premier League clubs with Australia's Macquarie has increased fivefold since last year, according to an offthepitch.com analysis.

Barclays, however, is still the primary banking institution - though its exposure to football has been dropping.

The preponderance of third-party financing has been driven by the lack of matchday income, with the market's increasing maturity boding well for both clubs and external financiers.