Leicester City has been advised to urgently engage with the Premier League to address the PSR charges recently levied against them. The club faces potential points deductions, and football finance expert Stefan Borson has suggested that accepting the charges and negotiating a settlement could mitigate the impact on their current season.
Stefan Borson said: “The question now is whether they can quickly get round the table with the Premier League and agree what is effectively a settlement. If I was them, what I’d be doing now is saying we will accept almost whatever you want to put in front of us in terms of a settlement. So if you want a 12-point penalty for this breach, we’ll take it. In effect, we’ll take the 12 points this season, we’ll finish two places lower in the league, we’ll finish bottom of the table, we won’t finish third bottom.”
He explained: “I think it’s going to be very difficult for that to happen, and Leicester will probably be surprised if that happens, but it is just swings and roundabouts. I mean, I don’t think there’s much doubt that they breached. They probably breached by about £30m, maybe even a little bit more, and they don’t have any mitigation because if you look at the things that they’re charged with, the sort of mitigation you get for early admission and cooperation, they’ve charged them for non-cooperation, so they’re looking for more of a penalty. So I’m saying, accept almost whatever the Premier League want and admit it all. What they need to do is sign a settlement agreement effectively in the next seven days.”
Borson emphasized the urgency of the situation, suggesting that the club should aim to finalize a settlement within the next week. The charges, reportedly involving a breach of around £30 million, leave Leicester with little room for mitigation due to accusations of non-cooperation. This lack of cooperation could lead to harsher penalties if not addressed promptly.
The potential points deduction could see Leicester drop significantly in the league standings, with Borson advising that accepting a penalty this season could prevent a more severe impact in the next. The financial expert stressed that while the situation is challenging, a proactive approach could help the club manage the repercussions more effectively.
The charges against Leicester City have sparked debate about their fairness, with the club’s next steps likely to be closely scrutinized by fans and analysts alike. The situation underscores the complexities of financial regulations in football and the potential consequences of non-compliance.
