Premier League pushes £1.5bn EFL funding deal ahead of Thursday vote

Premier League clubs will vote next week on a financial agreement that could see around £1.5 billion distributed to English Football League clubs over the next decade, per Sky News. The proposal, known as the New Deal, has been under negotiation for more than three years and is designed to create a more sustainable financial future for clubs across the football pyramid.

A meeting involving Premier League clubs is expected to take place on Thursday, although discussions remain ongoing and a formal vote has yet to be confirmed. The proposal requires the support of at least 14 Premier League clubs to pass before it can be formally presented to the EFL.

One of the key elements of the package is an increase in the Premier League’s transfer levy from 4% to 6%. Using Chelsea’s £117 million signing of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers as an example, the levy would rise from £4.68 million to £7.02 million under the new system.

The funding would be introduced on a sliding scale, beginning with less than £100 million in the 2026/27 season before increasing to more than £130 million the following year. It then goes up to around £160 million annually from year three onwards.

Clubs would contribute based on the Premier League’s existing revenue distribution model, meaning the league’s biggest earners would shoulder the largest share of the costs. The proposal also includes plans to reduce parachute payments to relegated clubs gradually.

There are plans to establish a £20 million emergency fund for EFL clubs facing administration and a requirement that 20% of redistributed funds be invested in infrastructure rather than wages or transfer fees. The Independent Football Regulator is waiting in the wings and could impose its own financial settlement if the Premier League and EFL fail to agree terms.

If the proposal receives the required backing and gets EFL approval, it will be one of the biggest changes to English football’s financial structure since the Premier League was founded in 1992. It will restructure how money flows throughout the professional game for years.