Premier League faces hurdles in regulating multi-club ownership transfers
IMAGO | Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon takes a shot on goal in a game against Manchester City.
Next week the English Premier League (EPL) is considering a ban on loan transfers between clubs under the same ownership, but legal challenges and competition laws pose significant hurdles.
Amidst concerns over Newcastle United’s access to players from clubs owned by its Saudi owners, the Premier League grapples with the implications of multi-club ownership (MCO) models.
Why it matters: Sports law expert warns that strict regulations on inter-club transfers within MCOs may contravene EU and UK competition laws, risking legal battles and impacting investment.
The perspective: The Premier League’s existing ‘related party transactions’ rules might be a template for future regulations, but the feasibility of long-term restrictive measures is open to question.
13 November 2023 - 5:38 PM
An outright ban on transfers between clubs in multi-club ownership (MCO) models is unlikely as it will lead to legal challenges by affected clubs, contravene competition law and not have a critical majority within football to succeed, an expert has warned.
Next week the EPL’s monthly shareholders meeting will vote to ban loan transfers between partner clubs in the January transfer window, and has previously put in place measures to scrutinise permanent transfers between associated p
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