The Premier League is set to abolish four points from Nottingham Forest’s tally, pushing them into the danger of relegation, following a violation of the League’s profit and sustainability laws. They sit just a point away from a safer position. A formality of announcement from the league is expected by Monday, and it is likely that Forest will fight the decision.
The club, while acknowledging their infringement, justified their actions based on particular circumstances surrounding the selling of Brennan Johnson, their key player. Last summer, Brentford attempted to lure Johnson away with a £30m deal, but Johnson was disinclined to accept it, and Forest anticipated a higher return if they waited past the 30th of June PSR deadline. Eventually, Johnson was transferred to Tottenham in September for £47.5m, however, an independent committee dismissed this justification.
The club endeavored to prove that their strategy was aimed at solidifying their financial viability by claiming that all income garnered from Johnson’s sale, a home-grown player, is deemed as profit.
Premier League clubs have a loss limit of £105m over a three-year span, however, Forest was given a loss limit of £61m as they spent two years in the Championship during the three-year period. This formed part of their defense, as they insisted their financial matters were compromised with the necessity to bolster the team following promotion to compete against more experienced squads.
Since ascending to the Premier League, Forest have brought 42 new faces to the club with a hefty expenditure of roughly £250m, which played a crucial part in securing their position in the Premier League in the previous season.