Barrister who represented Nottingham Forest in points fight makes salary cap claim as new row looms

Nick De Marco was in court as row between Forest and Premier League rumbled on. He has now offered his insight on PSR reform

Nick De Marco, the barrister who represented Nottingham Forest in their points deduction dispute with the Premier League, has cast doubt on the “certainty” of changes to the top-flight’s spending rules after clubs opted to maintain the current PSR regulations.

Clubs will continue to experiment with squad cost rules and top-to-bottom anchoring in shadow, but they will still be limited to losses of £105m over a rolling three-year period, and even less if promoted from the Championship, the issue at the centre of Forest’s failed points deduction appeal last season.

The Reds hired De Marco last year when they were charged by the Premier League for breaching its Profit and Sustainability Rules, seeking to avoid a points deduction.

Forest were ultimately deducted four points after an independent commission found their losses for 2022/23 breached the lower threshold for promoted clubs of £61m.

The Premier League had initially considered aligning with UEFA’s squad cost model next season, but recent months have been particularly challenging for the top-flight. Manchester City have launched another fresh legal challenge against the Premier League’s amended associated party transactions (APT) rules, and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) have threatened legal action if a hard salary cap is introduced.

De Marco KC, who has also represented Leicester City in disputes with the Premier League, expressed doubts about the implementation of squad cost rules during a Mishcon de Reya sports law academy panel discussion, reports Chronicle Live. He said: “My understanding is that there is no certainty at all that squad cost rules will come in in this country.