Newcastle United urged to complete £90m deal after Man Utd agreement & Premier League rule change

Newcastle and three other Premier League clubs voted against revised APT rules that were ultimately passed at a Premier League shareholder meeting last Friday. But with Manchester City embroiled in a legal battle with the Premier League over such rules, uncertainty remains.

A Premier League statement released last week said: “The Premier League has conducted a detailed consultation with clubs - informed by multiple opinions from expert, independent Leading Counsel - to draft rule changes that address amendments required to the system.

“This relates to integrating the assessment of Shareholder loans, the removal of some of the amendments made to APT rules earlier this year, and changes to the process by which relevant information from the League’s "databank" is shared with a club’s advisors.

“The purpose of the APT rules is to ensure clubs are not able to benefit from commercial deals or reductions in costs that are not at Fair Market Value (FMV) by virtue of relationships with Associated Parties. These rules were introduced to provide a robust mechanism to safeguard the financial stability, integrity and competitive balance of the League.”

Despite Newcastle voting against the changes, Maguire argues the club should be able to complete shirt deals worth £90million-per-season to reflect Manchester United’s current deal with Adidas as it could be considered ‘fair market value’.

“I think the additional information now available to clubs will allow them to see the upper limit of the upper limit, as it were,” Maguire told TBR Football.

“It will let them see just how far they can negotiate before the Premier League says this is not acceptable.

“If Man United have a £90m shirt deal, presumably it would be acceptable for Newcastle United and Man City to also have a £90m shirt deal given that the Premier League specifically states that the rules are there to ensure competitive balance.

“I don’t know how they can keep a straight face when they say that.”

Newcastle’s current deal with Adidas is worth upwards of £30million-per-season while Liverpool are set to enter a significant commercial partnership with the German sports manufacturer starting next season.