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Revealed: How Premier League clubs feel about Manchester City’s legal settlement on APT rules

Premier League clubs appear to have reacted positively to news of a settlement being reached by Manchester City and the top-flight over their legal battle on APT rules.

For much of the past year, the dispute between City and the Premier League over Associated Party Transaction (APT) regulations has been seen as a potential flashpoint for English football.

Introduced in the wake of the Saudi-led takeover at Newcastle United, APT rules were designed to prevent inflated sponsorship deals with companies linked to club ownership groups. City, backed by the City Football Group, had consistently argued that measures unfairly restricted ability to maximise commercial revenues.

The case carried significant weight due to the wider context surrounding City’s 115 charges for alleged breaches of financial rules. While the APT matter was treated separately, rivals across the division viewed it as a potential precedent-setter.

Developments in recent weeks have been seen as a breakthrough moment for the Premier League, which has been under growing pressure from clubs to demonstrate strength and fairness in enforcing its regulatory framework.

Now, according to new information from The Times’ Martyn Ziegler, the settlement of the legal action brought by Manchester City against the Premier League over Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules has brought ‘sighs of relief’ from other top-flight clubs.

It is claimed that there had been a ‘real fear’ among City’s rivals that a victory for Etihad Stadium officials would mean a ‘free-for-all’ in terms of related-party sponsorships, while defeat could have prompted another expensive legal challenge.

The newspaper further quotes sources who state that the legal bill for the arbitration challenges so far on the issue in question alone could be about £20 million for each party, and as such in effect being £1 million per club.

Looking ahead, much now depends on how both City and the Premier League navigate future disputes, while the settlement does not remove underlying tension between regulators and clubs, particularly in an era where sponsorships are increasingly tied to state-backed entities.

Some believe this compromise could open the door to a recalibration of APT rules rather than a complete overhaul, while others suggest rival clubs will now push for even tighter oversight to ensure transparency and competitive balance.

Either way, the conclusion of this legal saga provides temporary stability for the league, but the questions raised about how financial power is policed in English football are unlikely to go away any time soon.

For Manchester City, many believe that the club have now seen the door re-opened to revive a sponsorship agreement with long-standing partner Etihad Airways, in a deal that some believe could reach a total of £1 billion across the course of the next decade.