Chelsea, Newcastle & Villa sympathise with Manchester City’s legal case against the Premier League | OneFootball

Manchester City have launched a legal battle against the Premier League over the organisation’s commercial rules.

Over ten clubs reportedly support the league, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, the Daily Mail claims that at least three clubs sympathise with City’s position which seeks to abolish the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules.

Chelsea, Newcastle United and Aston Villa believe City’s concerns about the commercial rules are valid.

The London giants have provided a statement challenging the updated rules on APT, especially regarding multi-club ownership.

Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris is close to Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and is unhappy with the spending limits imposed.

Newcastle have abstained in recent votes on the matter, but they sympathise with Man City because they are Saudi Arabian-owned.

The APT rules were designed to ensure fair competition by preventing clubs from inflating sponsorship deals with companies linked to their owners.

Manchester City are dissatisfied with the current system which they claim is based on ‘discrimination against Gulf ownership’.