APTs are commercial deals involving clubs and companies to which they already have a close association.
Restrictions were introduced in December 2021, shortly after a Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle.
Lawyers on behalf of the Premier League champions successfully argued that shareholder loans should not be excluded from the scope of the APT rules. Inadvertently, it means top-flight clubs with high levels of borrowing are now in danger of breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
Per The Times, Arsenal have borrowed more than £200million made up entirely of shareholder loans. Mikel Arteta brought in David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, and Mikel Merino this summer for a combined total of £91m.
That followed the summer of 2023 where almost £200m was splashed out on new signings, with the Spaniard well backed by his club in their bid to land a first Premier League title since 2004.
But these new developments could now spell trouble for Stan Kroenke and co, and potentially leave the club needing to sell in future in order to comply with regulations.
“The Tribunal found that both the original APT rules and the current, (amended) APT Rules violate UK competition law and violate the requirements of procedural fairness. The Premier League was found to have abused its dominant position.”
The Premier League also claimed victory, saying the tribunal rejected the majority of Manchester City's challenges. League bosses have claimed the rulings “endorsed the overall objectives, framework and decision-making of the APT system.”
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