“Premier League Watch: Nottingham Forest’s Deadline Deals Face Arm’s Length Test”
“Nottingham Forest are unlikely to face challenges regarding their last-minute sales before the 30th June accounting deadline, provided they can demonstrate that these transfers were conducted ‘at arm’s length’. Finance expert Stefan Borson, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, believes the only potential risk for Forest would arise if the Premier League requests documentation that contradicts their narrative on these transactions.
Following a points deduction last season, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team is reportedly nearing their allowable losses limit again, necessitating a significant profit by the end of June. The Premier League recently reminded all 20 clubs about the ‘good faith’ regulations concerning transfers before the deadline.
Forest was involved in late transactions, including Odysseas Vlachodimos’ £12.5 million move to Newcastle United and Elliot Anderson’s £35 million transfer in the opposite direction. Orel Mangala also completed a £15 million transfer to Lyon, while Moussa Niakhate moved to the French club from the City Ground for £27 million.
Despite Borson acknowledging that these deals appear financially substantial, he suggests that the Premier League is unlikely to dispute them unless there are indications that they did not adhere to ‘arm’s length’ principles.”
“If the deals are genuinely conducted at arm’s length, it’s unlikely they will face challenges. The concern for some clubs arises if it emerges that these transfers involve unusual connections or circumstances. The real risk lies in the Premier League scrutinizing the paperwork, as discrepancies could undermine their narrative.
“This issue surfaced previously with Brennan Johnson, where discrepancies between the story presented and the evidence reviewed caused problems during commission proceedings.
“Nevertheless, the transactions involving Nottingham Forest appear to involve significant sums. For instance, Niakhate’s move to Lyon set a record fee for the club. Lyon, despite seemingly limited resources, have also made notable acquisitions like Benrahma and Mangala, as indicated in publicly available figures.
“There may be scrutiny over some of Forest’s deals, but if they can demonstrate they were conducted at arm’s length, they are unlikely to face any challenges.”
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