March 18, (THEWILL)- Nottingham Forest has been hit with a four-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR). The East Midlands club will now plummet from 17th place into the relegation zone, sitting on 21 points, one behind Luton Town who will rise out of the bottom three.
The English Premier League is expected to make an official announcement regarding the punishment on Monday. According to reports from The Guardian, Forest admitted to the breach but is likely to appeal against the decision. Their defence centred around the sale of academy graduate Brennan Johnson, with the club arguing that delaying his transfer until after the June PSR deadline when he was eventually sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £47.5 million, was a strategic move aimed at maximising sustainability.
However, an independent panel dismissed Forest’s defence, ruling that their approach to the Johnson sale did not align with the spirit of the profit and sustainability regulations. The club had also contended that their financial losses resulted from vital investment in the playing squad, necessary for avoiding relegation.
Forest is not the only club to face punishment for PSR breaches this season. Everton was initially deducted ten points but saw this reduced to six on appeal, although they are still awaiting the verdict of another charge which could lead to further point deductions.
With both Forest and Everton embroiled in a tense battle against the drop, the four-point deduction leaves Nuno Espirito Santo’s side a point adrift of safety behind Luton. At the same time, Sean Dyche’s Everton sit 16th on 25 points, with Brentford one point ahead.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
