The Premier League has said it wants to reach agreement with the EFL over a new funding deal as soon as possible, as talks continue over a proposed 10-year settlement.
The offer was presented to the EFL last week and would double solidarity payments to the 72 clubs in the English Football League. It would provide an additional £1.8bn to EFL clubs and is expected to be funded partly by increasing the Premier League’s transfer levy.
Premier League clubs agreed on the deal in late July after years of stalemate over the level of support the top flight provides to the rest of the football pyramid. The EFL has not yet accepted the settlement, and discussions remain ongoing.
In a statement following a meeting of its clubs on Thursday, the Premier League said discussions had continued over a new strategic partnership with the EFL. ‘Since a fair and generous proposal was formally offered to the EFL last month, discussions have continued between the leagues’ executives,’ the statement said. ‘The Premier League remains committed to concluding a football-led solution as soon as possible so additional money can flow to EFL clubs this season.’
That commitment reflects the Premier League’s desire to avoid a solution being imposed by the Independent Football Regulator through its backstop powers if the two leagues cannot reach an agreement. The EFL declined to comment.
The deal would require scrapping the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and include controls to prevent the extra money from being spent on player wages.
The funding row has been rumbling on since a fan-led review in 2021, which was commissioned by the government after a number of crises in the sport, including the failed European Super League project and the collapse of Bury FC. No funding redistribution deal has been agreed amid disagreements over lucrative parachute payments to relegated clubs.
The EFL believes those payments distort competition and increase the risk of reckless spending by clubs desperate to reach the top flight. The Premier League has said they are essential for clubs to have the confidence to invest, and provide the competition that ultimately generates the value shared with the lower leagues. In March 2024, the Premier League was warned by government officials that a deal would be imposed on them if it and the EFL failed to agree.