Several top officials at Premier League clubs believe that Nottingham Forest will soon suffer a points deduction. The English top flight previously charged the East Midlands club with breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Along with Forest, Everton was also hit with a charge as well.
It happened to be the second infraction for the Toffees, as they were given a 10-point deduction back in November. Everton has since appealed the initial decision and is waiting to learn the results of the move.
While Everton may hear back regarding their appeal at some point this week, Forest will have to wait with their situation. A ruling on their breach is not expected to be announced until March. The Everton decision will, however, certainly have an impact on a ruling regarding Forest’s breach.
Nevertheless, a recent report by The I claims that rival Premier League teams are convinced Forest will soon receive a points deduction. One English club’s chief executive is apparently “adamant” that Forest will have a similar fate as Everton.
Forest is set to learn an official date for the hearing regarding their case. This is expected to be within the first half of March. Depending on the outcome, the club will then, like Everton, be able to appeal the decision. The appeal process is likely to conclude before May. This would ensure all Premier League clubs that the matter will be completed by the end of the current campaign.
A key point in Forest’s argument surrounds the previous transfer of Brennan Johnson. The club sold the star forward to Tottenham Hotspur for around $60 million on Sep. 1. Unlike actual Premier League seasons, financial years run from July to June. Forest’s aforementioned financial breach occurred during the 2022/23 year. As the new 2023/24 financial year began in July, the received money did not help the year in question.
Forest, however, will argue to the panel that they had to wait to sell Johnson to receive an ample fee. The club claims that they would have lost money if they sold the star during the 2022/23 financial year. It remains to be seen how the panel will react to this argument.
Any potential points penalty would significantly threaten Forest’s chances of staying alive in the Premier League. The club currently sits 16th in the standings, just four points from the drop zone. Assuming they are hit with a similar 10-point penalty as Everton, Forest would move down to 18th in the table. They would then find themselves in an uphill climb to avoid relegation come May.
Forest’s financial issues, however, are far from surprising. The club has signed a total of 43 players since they earned promotion to the top flight in 2022. It would be tough for any club to be within the league’s spending guidelines having such a transfer strategy.
Nevertheless, many soccer fans hope that the Premier League takes a similar approach to major clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City. Critics point to the heavy spending in recent years from these two clubs. City faces charges from a year ago, but it has not faced any real penalties.
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