Nandy to meet Premier League clubs amid ‘threat of civil war’

The culture secretary will hold talks with a group of Premier League clubs on Wednesday about the government’s plans for a football watchdog, even as the sport’s top flight teeters on the brink of civil war.

Sky News has learnt that Lisa Nandy will meet executives from clubs including Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur within hours of a legal ruling which has triggered a fractious dispute between Manchester City and the Premier League.

Ms Nandy will also meet a handful of English Football League (EFL) clubs this week, with the Football Governance Bill expected to be introduced to parliament within weeks.

The draft legislation will revive plans for the establishment of an independent football regulator after a previous bill ran out of parliamentary time ahead of the election.

The new body will have powers to enforce a financial settlement between the Premier League and EFL dubbed “a new deal for football”.

Negotiations over a settlement ran aground after months of in-fighting among top-flight clubs.

The culture secretary’s discussions with Premier League clubs were described by one insider as “routine engagement” but they will come against a perilous backdrop for the English football elite.

Manchester City accused the Premier League of providing a misleading summary of the outcome of a case between them, which culminated on Monday with both sides claiming victory.

The case centered on associated party transaction rules, overseen by the Premier League, which assess the fairness of commercial deals involving clubs and related companies.

A separate legal hearing investigating 115 alleged breaches by the champions of the Premier League’s financial rules is ongoing.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport declined to comment on Tuesday.