Barrister representing PFA in battle over limiting Premier League spending
The barrister who helped the Professional Footballers' Association overturn an EFL salary cap is representing the union in relation to plans to limit the spending of Premier League clubs, the PA news agency understands.
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Nick De Marco KC worked with the PFA to help scrap the League One and Two caps introduced in August 2020, and it is understood he has now made legal representations on the PFA's behalf on the 'anchoring' proposal set to be adopted in shadow form by top-flight clubs on Thursday.
PA understands clubs will not now take a vote on anchoring, under which clubs' spending on wages, transfers and agents would be limited to a multiple of the television and prize money revenue earned by the league's bottom club.
Instead, clubs will be asked to introduce it in shadow form for next season, alongside squad cost control rules. Combined, the system could replace the current profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) for the 2025-26 season.
League sources say introducing the measures in shadow form will allow for any imperfections in either system to be ironed out, and for discussions with the PFA on anchoring to continue.
The aim of anchoring is to ensure competitive balance in the Premier League is maintained in the event of revenue earned by clubs playing in international competitions growing disproportionately to those who are not in the future, rather than to address any current gaps.
It is understood the economic and legal analysis of anchoring has not yet been shared with clubs.
The PFA has said it would oppose any measure which amounts to a salary cap in the Premier League.
The mechanism for resolving such an issue would most likely be the Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee (PFNCC).
It is the forum in which any matter related to players' employment terms and rules is discussed. It features representatives from the PFA, the Premier League, the Football Association and the EFL. If agreement is not reached at the PFNCC, then the matter would move on to independent arbitration.
