Leeds United are one of five teams reportedly seeking to sue Everton following the Premier League deducting 10 points from the Toffees over a profit and sustainability breach.
Leeds’ Championship season gets back underway this Friday with a trip to Rotherham United, aiming to continue the form that could see them back in the Premier League at the first time of asking.
There is clearly still some resentment at Elland Road for how the club dropped out of the top tier, seeing Everton stay up by the skin of their teeth for a second season running, having gained an unfair disadvantage to do so.
Everton deducted 10 points: What’s the latest?
Friday brought the huge bombshell that Everton had been deducted 10 points by the Premier League, plunging them to 19th in the table despite a fairly strong start to the season under Sean Dyche.
It comes after a breach of profit and sustainability rules where the Toffees have posted losses beyond the limit allowed by the league.
Alongside this confirmation, the Daily Mail also revealed that David Phillips KC in May ruled that Leeds, and three other clubs would be able to apply for compensation if Everton are found in breach of the rules.
Will Everton have to pay up?
Leeds, along with Leicester City, Southampton, and Burnley are all set to sue the Merseyside club soon to in order to gain compensation to the tune of approximately £100million each, the loss of Premier League revenue through being relegated.
“Everton’s prospective buyers 777Partners have committed to providing around £20million-a-month to help with the club’s running costs whilst the Premier League are assessing their takeover bid, but Mail Sport has learned that they would not be willing to pay a compensation bill that could run into tens of millions of pounds.
“The deal agreed by Farhad Moshiri and 777 in September contains clauses stipulating that the sale price will be reduced significantly if Everton are instructed to pay compensation or relegated from the Premier League.
“Everton’s current regime lack the funds to settle a significant compensation bill, which would leave the club facing administration and the automatic nine-point penalty introduced by the Premier League in 2004.”
Where will Leeds finish in 23/24?
League-winners
Automatic promotion
3rd-6th
Outside the playoffs
The clubs have every right to consider getting compensation from whoever is paying it, given that we and others were relegated while at least trying to work within our means.
All the while, Everton were actively breaching the rules and gaining an advantage as a result, such as spending £33million on Amadou Onana – a calibre of signing that other clubs working within the constraints wouldn’t have completed.
If Leeds and the other three clubs knew we could stand to lose more money and be punished two seasons after the fact, then that changes the whole landscape and makes a mockery of the rules.