The Premier League’s chief executive welcomes top-flight clubs trying to “find an angle” to gain an advantage over their competitors – so long as they stay within the rules.
The sale of two hotels owned by Chelsea to another company linked to the club’s owners is permitted under the rules, though neither the league nor the club have given any indication yet whether the deal has passed the league’s ‘fair market value’ test.
A vote on blocking the sale of such fixed assets to associated parties narrowly failed to pass at the Premier League’s annual general meeting in June, and it is unclear if a further attempt will be made to tighten the rules in the future.
Top-flight boss Richard Masters believes there is a “collective spirit” to abide by the regulations and believes clubs are playing their part in doing that, in spite of a series of ongoing legal cases where rule breaches are alleged.
“Clubs compete with each other on the pitch, off the pitch, in sponsorship markets, for new investment,” he said.
“They’re competing with each other all the time. Everyone is trying to find an angle, whether it be signing a player, finding a way to be better in the Premier League, and I think that is a great thing.
“When it comes to rule breaching, I don’t believe in that, as you would imagine I would say, and we will deal with that.
“But I do think there’s a collective spirit – in the end everybody understands that the Premier League is a fantastic football competition that needs preserving and protecting.
“That’s principally the Premier League’s role but everyone has to play their part, and I believe (the clubs) understand that, and they do (play their part).
“The rules are well understood. I wouldn’t describe them as loopholes. They’re understood and permitted within the rules, and our job is to ensure that they comply with the letter of the rules.
“Obviously, you’ve got lots of clubs who have different spending plans over a three-year period and we care less about that plan and more about that, eventually, everybody complies with those rules. So there are different ways of achieving the same thing, which is being within the limit (for permitted losses).”
Masters said the need to apply accounting principles meant there was no way to avoid academy players ending up as an attractive option to sell when clubs need to balance the books, with those sales booked as pure profit.
However, he believes the rise in prominence of homegrown players has been a hugely positive development in the Premier League over the last decade.
Masters added: “I think the huge opportunity for homegrown players is one of the great stories of the last 10 years. The fortunes of the England team have been transformed by the investment in the academy system, not just across the Premier League but the EFL as well.
“We’re now generating young players who are not just technically gifted, but well-rounded individuals able to perform in the Premier League more quickly, to generate value and to get opportunities to play in the Premier League and represent their country.
“So I think the story around young players in this country is a really positive one.”
