Sky News understands that the Premier League is expected to submit its offer to the English Football League (EFL) five days after the 20 top-flight clubs approved the “new strategic partnership” between the two organisations.
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The proposal includes an average £150m in annual payments to the EFL, beginning in the forthcoming 2026-27 campaign, as well as a new “lifeboat fund” for lower league clubs which find themselves in financial distress.
It also features a reduction in the parachute payments made to clubs relegated from the Premier League, as well as a pot of money ringfenced for infrastructure investment at the EFL’s 72 members.
The new funding would be in addition to the £1.6bn invested by the Premier League in the wider English game, but has already met with resistance from the EFL leadership, Sky News reported last month.
“The Premier League remains committed to finding a football-led solution and looks forward to continuing discussions with the EFL on progressing this proposal,” it said on Thursday.
Football insiders said the formal lodging of the proposal would leave the EFL with the choice over whether to accept it or turn to the Independent Football Regulator, which has a backstop power to impose a financial redistribution settlement on the professional game.
Responding to the Premier League statement last week, the EFL said it “notes the Premier League’s position following its meeting with clubs earlier today, and now looks forward to receiving its formal proposal for consideration”.
“The EFL board will then review the full detail of the proposal, including its potential benefits, implications and alignment with the long-term interests of our 72 Clubs, ahead of further dialogue with the Premier League.
“The proposal will then be discussed in detail with our Member Clubs to determine next steps.”
The Premier League declined to comment on the timing of its offer being handed to the EFL.
It will come with the wider football world in a state of crisis over FIFA’s now-abandoned proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup.
