Leeds United appear to be one of the teams ready for the EFL to punish Leicester City severely after their most recent public records indicate an unavoidable PSR violation.
With six games remaining, Leeds sits one point ahead of Leicester City in third place, despite having played one fewer game.
Huge financial pressures on Leeds, Leicester, and Southampton imply that promotion now is essential to avoid problems later on, which the Foxes are already grappling with.
Leicester faces massive penalties as £215.3 million PSR breach looms.
The Telegraph has disclosed all about Leicester’s current Championship finances, after both the Premier League and the EFL imposed sanctions on Enzo Maresca’s team.
At the moment, the only punishment is an EFL embargo that prevents them from signing new players or even giving new contracts to current ones, but teams clearly want more after the Foxes appeared to gain an unfair edge by spending beyond their means.
Leicester’s rolling three-year period in question has seen them post losses of £215.3 million, with their most recent reports for 22/23 showing an £89.7 million loss, which included the sales of Wesley Fofana for £70 million and James Maddison for £40 million.
Leeds and others want Leicester punished immediately.
According to the same source, Championship clubs want sanctions applied to guarantee that Leicester’s inflated salary bill and excessive spending do not put them at an unfair disadvantage this season, in which they have been so dominant.
“The Football League’s financial reporting unit has already expressed concern about information submitted last year for this season.” Though the EFL failed to put a business plan on the club, it has now imposed a player registration restriction.
“Many Championship clubs are demanding sanctions as they insist Leicester’s promotion challenge has been established with an unfair sporting advantage.”
Regardless, Leicester will be in big danger next season.
It’s annoying for Leeds, Southampton, and especially Ipswich to have to cope with one team essentially scamming their way to victory.
They have spent far over their means, with a pay bill that is simply outrageous for the Championship, even when compared to Leeds and Southampton.
A sanction now would be significant because it would send them to the playoff lottery, where they would struggle to advance.
Sanctions next season don’t help us at all, unless we go up with them, which would likely write them off for survival, knowing they’ll have to sell important players anyhow to balance the books.
