Premier League Sets Nov. 21 Vote on Anchoring Cap as Legal and EFL Fears Mount

Overview

• The proposal would cap any club’s squad spending at five times the smallest central payout, with independent estimates suggesting a current hard limit of roughly £550–600m.
• Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa previously voted against further exploration of the anchoring model.
• The Professional Footballers’ Association has instructed Nick De Marco KC for a potential legal challenge, warning the league over consultation obligations and possible competition-law breaches.
• Clubs warn a similar cap could be applied in the Championship, with relegated teams fearing limits that undercut the advantage of parachute payments.
• Sources indicate anchoring may be dropped or fail to pass, as clubs also weigh keeping PSR or adopting SCR that ties spending to revenue with an 85% limit and sporting sanctions above about 115%.