Newcastle United could be set to benefit from proposed changes to the Premier League’s financial model.
A majority of Premier League clubs have agreed in principle to FFP/PSR rule changes that could supercharge Newcastle United.
Toon chiefs were understood to be leading the charge for “anchoring” - a system that will see clubs’ spending power limited by how much TV revenue the bottom-placed team generates. These proposals de facto introduce a cap on transfers, wages and agent fees from the 2025-26 season onwards.
For context, Southampton’s TV income was £103.6million for the 2022-23 campaign. What remains unclear is how much clubs will be able to spend per season, with reports suggesting it could be as much as five times that figure.
Newcastle’s wage bill last season was £84million and agent fees, according to the BBC, were £19million. Assuming wages have not increased drastically Newcastle would have been allowed to spend a further £292million last summer.
FFP/PSR has become a hot topic in recent months following points deductions to Everton and Nottingham Forest. Premier League sides also endured a frugal January transfer window - forking out £700million less than the previous year.
Newcastle were in favour of the changes designed to even the playing field across the division. Only Chelsea would have breached these regulations if they were abided by in 2022-23.
Unsurprisingly, those with the biggest expenditure, namely Manchester United, were against the idea. The Red Devils have a staggering £205million wage bill - the highest in the Premier League.
Today’s verdict was only “in principle” and an in-depth breakdown is expected before June’s AGM shareholders’ meetings. Another sticking point is how the proposals will run alongside the updated FFP/PSR regulations, with clubs voting to align the Premier League model with UEFA’s last month.