The Premier League has failed to secure agreement for a new financial settlement for English football amid a continued stalemate between its clubs.
Sky News has learnt that a planned vote at a shareholder meeting on Monday afternoon was scrapped after it became clear it would not win support from the required majority of 14 clubs.
The meeting is likely to have been the last opportunity to agree the proposed £836m deal before the government introduces legislation to establish a new football regulator.
Football insiders said on Monday that the decision was “a blow” to the Premier League’s authority and would raise fresh questions about the future governance and financial management of the sport.
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A separate resolution on elements of the Premier League’s future financial system was overwhelmingly backed, with 19 clubs voting in favour, and only Manchester City – which is taking legal action against the League over associated party transaction rules – understood to have abstained.
One source said the outcome of the meeting highlighted the seemingly intractable impasse gripping the world’s richest domestic football league.
At the weekend, Sky News revealed that Premier League bosses were scrambling to finalise a landmark financial settlement with the English Football League (EFL).
The 20 top-flight clubs, which include Aston Villa, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, were due to be asked to approve a revised version of a ‘New Deal’ that included proposals for an increased levy on player transfers.
The revamped blueprint, which comes after several previous versions were blocked by Premier League clubs, included provision for an immediate £44m payment to the lower leagues, followed by a further £44m within months.
This £88m, however, would effectively be pitched as a loan that would be repayable by the EFL over a period of more than six years.
The Premier League had decided…
