Football finance expert drops verdict on Everton's PSR charge and what Premier League's 'issue' is

Everton have an argument that their alleged breach of Premier League profit and sustainability is unfair, according to a football finance expert.

The Toffees were charged for breaking spending rules in the 2022-23 season. Everton have already been hit by a 10-point deduction - which is currently in the process of appeal - for being guilty of failing to stick to financial protocol in 2021-22. Premier League rules state that clubs can lose £105 million in a three-year period.

The Blues feel that there is a case of double jeopardy and they have been punished twice because assessment periods overlap. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Dr Rob Wilson - a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University - reckons Everton have a case.

Dr Wilson said: "I think they have (got a point). What we need to remember in all of that is the Covid period, which is the period from 2019-20 all the way through to 22-23 has been collapsed into a two-year period and that's why Everton are feeling like they've got a double jeopardy situation going on.

"Of course, the latest charge only relates to an alleged breach in the 2022-23 season and permitted losses are £35 million so Everton are reaping the issues of the financial irregularities the Premier League charged them with a few months ago.

"When the Premier League originally set up their financial fair play which became profit and sustainability regulations, they set the limit to £105 million over a rolling three-year period. The Premier League didn't really think any team would breach those regulations by any stretch of the imagination. Some £105 million is not an insignificant sum of money and is much greater than UEFA allow in their competition. When you look further down the system in the EFL, we've had lots of clubs who have gone into administration or insolvency in the case of Bury. The EFL need to be more descriptive about the sanctions and regulatory framework it was going to charge clubs with.

"The issue for the Premier League is that because they don't have any of this written down, they set the regulatory framework so they can breach by £105 million will be a sanction. They don't actually say what those sanctions are, they talk about fines and points deductions and it's only in the past few months we've learned the veracity of the information the Premier League are going through and indeed the independent commission were prepared to sanction Everton with a points deduction of 10 points. Even on the evidence we look at, it was relatively harsh. We fancied a points deduction in the 5-6 range which may come down on appeal."