Manchester City and Premier league at odds over rules  

The rule controls commercial deals entered between clubs and companies connected to their owners requiring them to be of fair market value. The end goal that wants to be achieved by the Premier League through these rules is to prevent wealthy clubs from inflating such deals to help pay transfer fees and player wages, with the end goal of keeping the Premier League competitive.

City are unhappy and have launched a new legal challenge making it their third case against the Premier League. 

Around October last year both sides (City and the Premier League) stated their respective cases, and the arbitration panel found most elements of the league’s rules unlawful. 
The Premier League went back to the drawing board to meet clubs halfway by allowing them to vote on changes they believe will make the rules lawful and complaint with UK competition laws.

These included:

• Shareholder loans to the fair market value (FMV) assessment
• The removal of some of the amendments made to APT rules earlier this year
• Changes to how clubs access the leagues databank, which is used to make FMV decisions

The outcome of the votes went in favor of the Premier League securing 14 votes which they needed to pass the amendments.

The Premier League is fully aware of the new legal challenge and chief executive Richard Masters has sent a letter to all the clubs updating them about the legal matter.

Masters wrote: “The Premier League remains strongly of the view that the amendments passed in November were lawful and the APT rules comply with all competition law requirements. We consider that the new arbitration must be resolved as soon as possible and, to that end, have agreed that the same tribunal should be appointed to hear the new case.

“The parties are currently corresponding in relation to further directions. He added, “The APT rules remain in full force and effect and clubs remain required to comply with all aspects of the system.”