George Overhill

Tue 15 August 2023 18:40, UK

The Premier League have introduced a rule-change in response to other clubs having “complained” about Everton and their profit and sustainability referral, according to the Daily Mail.

The newspaper reported on their website on 15 August that the development “compels clubs with a recent history of overspending to submit their accounts three months before the rest of the top flight”.

This is reportedly in response to “several clubs”, namely Leeds United, Southampton, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Burnley, complaining that the “charge” handed down by the league in March, which the Toffees dispute and plan to “robustly defend” themselves against, was not heard before the end of last season.

According to the Mail the new regulation is an “attempt by the Premier League to ensure that any disciplinary cases arising from alleged breaches of FFP rules are dealt with before the end of the same season” with other clubs “openly sceptical of [Everton’s] protestations of innocence”.

Fuss

Until the hearing in front an independent commission is held in October the accusations and responses over this matter are largely a waste of effort.

Everton have made their stance clear, and if the commission ultimately finds in their favour they will likely have some major questions of their own.

Punishments could be highly-damaging, but if nothing comes of the matter it will make the apparent fury since the league announced the referral look pointless.

Whether that level of anger has itself been overblown has to be taken into consideration, with relegated Leeds United one of the parties apparently so incensed by the prospect of going down at the Toffees’ expense that they were ready to demand £100m in compensation after the hearing, and yet the extensive transfer links between the two sides all summer suggest the threat may not be a going concern currently.

The Premier League’s rule-change wouldn’t even avoid the current situation anyway, since they sent down their referral on 24 March and the club’s hearing isn’t due to be held until 25 October [BBC Sport], seven months later.

Based on that timeframe an extra three months would still have the hearing held in July. long after the relegation battle that was at the centre of the issue was concluded.

It is a messy situation all around and at this stage the Premier League’s handling of it doesn’t seem to have satisfied anyone, but until the hearing reaches a conclusion right and wrong is impossible to discern.

In other Everton news, a senior striker signing at Goodison Park is “pretty sure” after the arrival of Jack Harrison.