With the legitimacy of FFP (Financial Fair Play) regulations under scrutiny, the query arises: are all clubs adhering to the FFP (Financial Fair Play) rules?
As we head into the middle of January, this transfer window has remained remarkably quiet. The rumour mill continues to circle, with names of potential movers constantly being thrown into the mix. But will it be the usual Premier League ‘suspects’ who manage to spend big, with the rest of the teams left in their wake?
As a Newcastle United supporter for over thirty years, I have experienced years of heartache and trophyless seasons supporting my club. My immense joy when we were taken over by a Saudi Arabia-owned consortium was one mirrored by all Newcastle fans, who believed that this would be the miracle turnaround we had been waiting so long for.
But the restrictions put in place about Financial Fair Play are playing havoc with their transfer window plans, meaning that, despite being the richest club in the world in terms of investment, they are far from where they need to be in being allowed to strengthen the squad without facing a penalty.
It doesn’t help matters that Newcastle United recently announced losses of around 73 million, which greatly hinders their activity in this current transfer market. This is still a reflection of pre-takeover decisions made by the previous owner Mike Ashley, which will take time to correct.
FFP – Financial Fair Play
Financial Fair Play restrictions are not just affecting my club. Others who are in with a chance of beating the so-called ‘big six’ teams are also being sanctioned in their spending.
Aston Villa, Brighton and West Ham are all in the top half of the table after a fantastic first half of the season but are not expected to spend much in this current transfer window to enable their squad to match the quality of the “big boys”.
For so long, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have been leading the pack, not just on the field but off too. Their sponsorship deals blow their competition out of the water, and together with season ticket sales, huge stadiums and popularity abroad have generated such a substantial profit that enables them to spend big in transfer markets.
Chelsea, for example, spent in the region of 436 million in the summer of 2023, mainly due to offering new players long contracts.
In contrast, other teams in the Premier League are suffering from the detrimental effects of the rules of FFP (Financial Fair Play). A couple of months ago we saw Everton docked 10 points for breaching the league’s profitability and sustainability rules yet there have been rumours of Manchester City also not abiding by FFP but with no consequences.
From the inactivity so far this January, it seems that teams are being extra cautious to not break any of the rules to risk being sanctioned with a points penalty too.
If Newcastle United want to challenge their competition, they need to be allowed to spend. And spend big. They need high-quality sponsorship deals, and a larger stadium to fill with season tickets. They may also need to look at selling some of their signings that are worth the most to buy other experienced players on their hit list.
Rumours are floating about that Bruno Guimaraes will go, with the latest being that Liverpool and Chelsea are both willing to break his hefty release clause, which would be a huge blow to a Newcastle team that is suffering with multiple players out with injuries.
It doesn’t matter that they are the richest club, until they have built up more of a profitable base over the next few years, they won’t be fighting for any titles yet.
But, like with Manchester City, who took four years to win their first Premier League title after their takeover, our time will hopefully come. We just need to be patient.
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