Premier League keeps asset sale rule for PSR
Premier League clubs have retained the ability to sell assets such as hotels to related companies and include the revenue in their profitability and sustainability calculations.
This comes after no vote was held to change the rules at a top-flight meeting on 4th June 2025.
Chelsea have acted within league rules when they sold two hotels to a company linked to their owners in 2023 and included the revenue generated in their submission under the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). The club also sold their women’s team to a related company at a value of almost UK£200 million last year, helping the club record a net profit of £129m for the year ended 30th June 2024.
League rules do state, however, that such associated party transactions must be done at fair market value.
The PA news agency understands the Premier League consulted with clubs on a proposal to hold a vote on a rule change in advance of the league’s annual general meeting on 4th June, which sought to have the sale of such fixed assets excluded from clubs’ PSR calculations. However, it is understood the proposal did not gain sufficient support to put it to a vote. Clubs knew heading into the meeting that there would be no vote.
Chelsea’s hotel sales were cleared by the league, albeit with the value reduced to a restated UK£70.5 million in their latest accounts, down from an original UK£76.5 million. The valuation put on the women’s team is still being assessed.
Top-flight clubs opted against changing the rules around the sale of fixed assets in 2021, at a time when the English Football League (EFL) brought in tougher rules for its clubs after some included revenue from the sale of assets such as stadiums in their financial sustainability calculations. The issue came up again with Premier League clubs last summer but the existing rules were kept in place.
The sale of fixed assets cannot be included in revenue under UEFA’s financial sustainability rules, and the Blues are understood to be in discussions with European football’s governing body over a potential financial settlement.
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