Newcastle United may have the so-called richest owners in football but the Magpies will probably have to trade this summer to create headroom and Nottingham Forest have slammed the Premier League following their points deduction
Nottingham Forest have hit out at the ‘model’ that could result in ‘aspirant’ clubs like Newcastle United having to trade this summer.
Forest have dropped into the relegation zone after being docked four points for breaching the top-flight’s profit and sustainability regulations last season. Although relegation rivals Everton were handed a heavier punishment, for a lower breach, Forest have been left ‘extremely disappointed’ with the independent commission’s sanction.
Forest have insisted that the club balanced ‘compliance with PSR with important investment into the squad to give us the ability to compete in the league’. Forest recognised that they ‘missed the PSR reporting deadline’, but a club statement pointed to the fact that the Reds ‘took steps’ to sell Brennan Johnson to Spurs in the summer of 2023 in a ‘clear demonstration of our respect and support’ for the rules.
“The commission’s decision raises issues of concern for all aspirant clubs,” it read. “The player transfer market is a highly specialised trading environment that cannot be compared to the sale of normal products and services.
“There will be occasions when a player transfer cannot be completed in the first half of a transfer window and can only be completed at the end of that window. This should not be a reason for the condemnation of a club. For this not to be recognised by the commission or the Premier League should be a matter of extreme concern for all fans of our national game.
“Of wider concern for all aspirant clubs is the disturbing effect this decision will have on the operation of the player trading model. This is the only model by which clubs outside of the small group at the very top end of the Premier League can realistically advance up the football pyramid.”
Newcastle have the so-called richest owners in football, who have spent upwards of £400m to date, but it was ‘impossible’ for the club to do any business in January without moving someone on. The club even had to step away from a loan move for Kalvin Phillips for financial reasons although that ultimately proved a blessing.
Newcastle, ideally, do not want to lose a star player this summer but Darren Eales has spoken generally about how ‘if we’re going to get to where we want to get to, at times, it’s necessary to trade’ to create headroom. The Newcastle CEO, unprompted, even referenced how West Ham sold Declan Rice; how Liverpool let Philippe Coutinho go; and how Aston Villa allowed Jack Grealish to move on to Man City.
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