Premier League: Clubs want clarity over Manchester City APT rules ‘settlement’

Since announcing the settlement, BBC Sport has been told that the league’s chief executive Richard Masters and chair Alison Brittain have offered to speak to clubs if they have questions.

However, league officials insist the nature of the agreement means that much of the detail has to remain confidential.

There is no suggestion from either side that this will have any impact on the higher-profile, ongoing saga of the Premier League’s disciplinary case against City for 115 alleged breaches of its financial rules. City deny wrongdoing in a case which had an independent commission hearing conclude nine months ago, but is yet to produce a verdict.

“The compromise means neither party is a winner or a loser, but ultimately one would imagine Manchester City have come out with a good result in the sense that they can probably now push forward and close off some sponsorship deals at a higher value than perhaps the Premier League would previously have allowed,” said sports lawyer Richard Cramer.

“It does mean there is a likelihood Manchester City will be able to spend more money.

“The settlement probably means a better working relationship and maybe this is an indication that the Premier League and the other clubs have indicated enough is enough – it’s not a good optic for the clubs to be fighting and at loggerheads with the governing body.

“One of the biggest concerns for the Premier League is the vast expense on legal fees in relation to these ongoing arbitrations. The funding of these disputes has got completely out of control and a big drain on resources from both a management point of view and of course eating into cash reserves.

“Manchester City have untold wealth behind them to continue with these disputes, but even they may have reached the point of deciding that it’s not good for the sport.”