NSWE join forces with Man City as 'strong' statement sent in Premier League row

Aston Villa have thrown their support behind Manchester City and have written to their Premier League counterparts recommending that they postpone this week's vote on the proposed associated-party transaction (APT) amendments.

The APT rules are designed to ensure that clubs don't gain an unfair advantage by completing deals which are linked to the club's ownership; the Premier League monitor all transactions and use the fair market value (FMV) model, assessing each deal on its merits. If they determine that the transaction doesn't meet the FMV, the league can request the club 'restates' the terms of the deal.

The rules were introduced in 2021 after the takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Man City, though, have challenged the rules and a tribunal, which is clarifying the ruling and which upheld some of City's complaints. City have, according to the Telegraph, written to their rivals to urge them not to vote and now Villa have done likewise.

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They have 'strongly recommended' that the vote doesn't go ahead as planned on Friday and have listed a number of reasons why they're dubious that now is a pertinent time to vote on such matters, including the uncertainty of the tribunal's findings, the legal challenges which could surface and how the incoming independent regulator into football could affect the existing rules.

Last month the Premier League rejected the idea that they'd misled the competing clubs, an accusation pointed in their direction by City, who claimed that there were inaccuracies in the league's summary of the tribunal's findings.

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