Premier League clubs are set to vote in November on a contentious financial reform: a proposed salary cap known as “anchoring.”
The rule would limit spending on wages, transfer amortization, and agent fees to no more than five times what the club finishing bottom earns from TV and prize money, roughly £550 million based on 2023/24 figures.
Critics warn the measure could undermine English clubs’ ability to compete in Europe. One executive told SI that: “This will kill the status as the best league in the world and all the money that brings.”
The reform would run alongside the new squad cost ratio rules, designed to cap football spending to about 85 % of club revenue.
Support and opposition are divided. Sixteen clubs reportedly back exploring the cap, while Manchester United, Manchester City, and Aston Villa oppose it outright.
The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has warned that any proposals must include proper consultation because “proposals like this, which would directly impact our members, have to be properly consulted on.”