“Leicester City Escape PSR Sanctions: Transfer Window Could Have Been Very Different, Says Steve Cooper”
Leicester City’s transfer window might have unfolded differently had the club’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) appeal decision come sooner, according to manager Steve Cooper.
The club only learned the outcome at the very end of the window, with the appeal decision made public last week. The board upheld Leicester’s argument, ruling that the club had not breached the PSR for the 2022-23 season, thus preventing any points deduction from the Premier League.
Cooper, discussing the verdict for the first time, expressed his relief with the decision but also voiced “frustration” over its potential impact on the club’s transfer activities. There’s a belief that uncertainty over a possible points deduction might have deterred some players from joining the club.
“It’s clearly a positive outcome,” Cooper said during Thursday’s press conference. “Even before I arrived, the club remained calm about the situation. Understandably, anyone considering joining the club would have questioned the potential difficulties. Overall, the club handled it well.
“In terms of day-to-day operations and working with the players, it wasn’t too distracting. We addressed it as a team, ensuring it wouldn’t interfere with our work despite the external noise.
It’s definitely a good result, but there’s some frustration knowing it might have influenced certain decisions during the transfer window. Things could have been different if the ruling had come earlier, and the club had been cleared of any wrongdoing sooner.
“But I have to move past that. I’m really happy with the squad we’ve assembled, even if some players joined later than we had planned, and we’re playing a bit of catch-up because of that.”
Reactions to Leicester’s successful appeal have been mixed across Premier League fanbases. Supporters of clubs like Newcastle and Aston Villa, frustrated by the financial restrictions of PSR, welcomed the Premier League’s defeat. However, fans of Nottingham Forest and Everton, whose clubs faced punishments, were displeased that Leicester avoided sanctions on what some view as a technicality.