Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has used Everton as an example while posing an intriguing question about Manchester City’s long-running Premier League financial case.
Maguire contrasted the sponsorship arrangements alleged in City’s case with the type of internal asset transactions used more recently by Everton, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
For Everton, there is some substance behind the comparison. The club’s latest accounts included a £49.2m profit connected to transactions involving Everton Women and Goodison Park.
Maguire asks PSR question
Writing on X, Maguire asked what would have happened if City had sold the leasehold on the Etihad Stadium to themselves at a profit in 2012, followed by other real estate transactions.
He contrasted that hypothetical approach with what he described as the alleged disguised sponsorship sums in City’s case, before pointing towards Chelsea, Everton and Aston Villa as more recent examples.
“Would they have broken any PSR rules?”
The question isn’t an allegation of wrongdoing by Everton. The Blues’ accounts for the year ending June 2025 recorded a £49.2m profit arising from transactions involving Everton Women and Goodison Park Stadium Limited within The Friedkin Group structure. Everton reported an overall loss of £8.6m for the year, down from £53.2m in the previous accounts.
Everton provide a modern comparison
Everton’s involvement makes Maguire’s question particularly relevant given the club’s own history with the Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
The Blues previously received points deductions for PSR breaches, but Maguire isn’t suggesting the more recent transaction represents another breach. His question is whether a different route might have produced a different regulatory outcome for City.
There is another complication: the rules haven’t stood still. The Premier League’s current Associated Party Transaction rules require relevant transactions involving associated parties to be assessed against fair market value. The League says the system is intended to prevent clubs benefiting from artificially inflated commercial deals or reduced costs.
City’s case concerns alleged breaches across earlier seasons, including allegations relating to sponsorship revenue. City deny wrongdoing and the detailed findings of the independent Commission have not been published.
Maguire’s post leaves an interesting Everton angle: not an accusation against the Blues, but an example of how the financial mechanisms available to Premier League clubs — and the rules governing them — have developed.
LIVE! Premier League 2026 / 27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments
Everton transport ‘needs sorting’ says Premier League official
Everton transport ‘needs sorting’ says Premier League official
Six Everton players could feature on international duty today
Six Everton players could feature on international duty today