Premier League scrambles to secure £836m football New Deal
Sky News has learnt that the 20 top-flight clubs, which include Aston Villa, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, will on Monday be asked to approve a revised version of a 'New Deal' with the English Football League (EFL) that will include proposals for an increased levy on player transfers. The revamped blueprint, which comes after several previous versions were blocked by Premier League clubs, includes provision for an immediate £44m payment to the lower leagues, followed by a further £44m within months. This £88m, however, would effectively be pitched as a loan that would be repayable by the EFL over a period of more than six years. On Saturday, there were growing signs that the Premier League would struggle to obtain the required support of 14 clubs to approve the resolution, with at least two clubs said to have already decided to oppose it