Man City case update brings ‘devastating blow’ for Newcastle United: ‘It’s not ideal’

Man City haven’t “prevailed in the way that would be particularly useful” to Newcastle United in their case against the Premier League, according to former Citizens financial adviser Stefan Borson.

A vote to amend the Premier League’s associated party transaction (APT) rules was withdrawn ahead of a clubs meeting last Thursday, but sources insisted the change would only have been a minor one.

Reports on Thursday linked the decision to pull a vote connected to the databank, a tool used by the league’s board to assess fair market value in commercial deals, to Man City ’s legal challenge to the APT rules.

The reports said it indicated a potential victory for the Premier League club – who are also facing a hearing into 115 charges over alleged breaches of the top flight’s financial fair play rules – in the case.

However, it is understood the change would not have been a substantive one even if it had been voted through, with sources close to the meeting describing it as minor.

The APT rules are designed to ensure that commercial deals with entities linked to a club’s owners are done for fair market value.

Man City’s APT case was heard by an arbitration panel under Section X of the Premier League rules, where any decision made remains private. The hearing was held over two weeks in June.

Under rule X.31, the chair of the panel – with the parties’ consent – can share an anonymised summary of the ruling where it is considered to have “wider application” to other clubs.

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A Man City victory would surely trigger changes to the APT rules, which the clubs would need to be made aware of. However, beyond the dropped databank amendment, it is understood there was no further discussion of APT rule changes at Thursday’s meeting.

That could mean the panel has not made a decision yet, or that the Premier League won the case and no rule changes are required.

And now former Man City financial adviser Borson claims Saudi Arabia-owner Newcastle, who will also be watching the results of the APT case keenly, are unlikely to benefit much from what he’s hearing.

“It doesn’t look like City have prevailed in the way that would be particularly useful to Newcastle,” Borson told Football Insider , who insist it is a ‘devastating blow’ for Newcastle.

“If City have only managed to get a concession in respect of the databank, I don’t think that’s going to move the dial where Newcastle are concerned.

“Around the edges, it might help them on some commercial deals, maybe it helps get somebody over the line for the training ground or something of that nature.

“But I don’t think it’s going to move the dial materially, so it’s not ideal for Newcastle.”