Labour would move money from Premier League to smaller clubs, shadow minister says

“I support Manchester City, and I think like most people, we absolutely love the Premier League, it’s a great competition and something we’re known for all around the world.

“This isn’t about trying to do-down the Premier League but I think these sums that we’re seeing now [in the transfer window] are not sustainable.

“If it looks a bit wrong, it probably is a bit wrong, it doesn’t pass the smell test.

“In this transfer window as with last summer, the Premier League outspent the other top four European leagues combined.”

She said that a new regulator for English football would both be able to scrutinise clubs and transfers to make sure they are run appropriately, as well as have powers over a new financial settlement for the whole of the football pyramid.

“We’ve lost a lot of valuable time for some of these smaller clubs,” Ms Powell said, adding: “without these smaller clubs, we wouldn’t have a Premier League”.

She said that Labour would seek to make sure that the bulk of the money is retained by the top 25 clubs, such as those who receive parachute payments from being relegated.

It comes after a report by Onward found that just 25 clubs (20 in the Premier League, plus 5 in receipt of parachute payments in the EFL) receiving 92 per cent of the distributable revenues of the English game (£3 billion), while the other 67 professional clubs receive just 8 per cent.

The official White Paper responding to the recommendations of the fan-led review of football had been due for publication on Wednesday but on Tuesday its release was pushed back by at least two weeks.

Yesterday Lucy Frazer replaced Michelle Donelan as Culture Secretary as Rishi Sunak created four new departments as he reshuffed his top team.

A leaked copy of the White Paper seen by the Sun newspaper did not include a transfer levy, after Tracey Crouch and her review panel recommended a levy of up to 10 per cent on Premier League transfer deals to further support the pyramid, which it estimated could raise an extra £160 million a year.