Nottingham Forest in Outrageous Fury Towards Premier League as Brennan Johnson’s Transfer to Tottenham Sparks Controversy! [Full story link in comment]
Premier League decision accused of having “disturbing effect” on transfer market after refusal to consider Brennan Johnson’s £47.5m transfer to Tottenham in PSR punishment.
Nottingham Forest have launched a sensational attack on the Premier League after their decision to strip the club of four points for a breach of financial rulesy.
An independent commission today recommended the punishment after the club broke profit and sustainability regulations by £34.5m. But Forest, who have seven days to appeal the decision, are furious at the three-person panel’s decision not to take into account their sale of Brennan Johnson at the end of last summer’s transfer window.
Wales star Johnson joined Tottenham Hotspur for £47.5m on deadline day – and that fee would have seen Forest remain within the limits.
But Forest insist they were merely showing smart business practice by holding out for a higher fee having rejected a much lower bid, of about £30m, from Brentford in mid-June. And the East Midlands side, who are now in 18th position, say that the independent commission’s refusal to take that decision into account will have a “disturbing effect” on future transfer windows.
Forest said in an excoriating statement that “it still took steps to ensure Brennan Johnson was sold before the end of the transfer window” and “that was a clear demonstration of our respect and support for PSR.”
And they insisted that the decision shows that the footballing pyramid is at risk of being “destroyed” because the current regulations protect a select group of richer clubs.
The statement added: “The player transfer market is a highly specialised trading environment that cannot be compared to the sale of normal products and services.
“There will be occasions when a player transfer cannot be completed in the first half of a transfer window and can only be completed at the end of that window.
“This should not be a reason for the condemnation of a club. For this not to be recognised by the commission or the Premier League should be a matter of extreme concern for all fans of our national game.”
Forest were also unhappy that they were judged differently to clubs that had spent all three years of the assessment period in the top flight. Owing to the club spending the first two seasons in the Championship, where annual permitted losses are only £13m opposed to £35m, their limit was £61m.
“Of wider concern for all aspirant clubs is the disturbing effect this decision will have on the operation of the player trading model. This is the only model by which clubs outside of the small group at the very top end of the Premier League can realistically advance up the football pyramid.
“The rationale of the commission is that clubs should only invest after they have realised a profit on their player development. This reasoning destroys mobility in the football pyramid and the effect of the decision will be to drastically reduce the room for manoeuvre for all such clubs, leading to the stagnation of our national game.”
