Premier League teams agree to trial TWO forms of salary cap next season…  but both Manchester clubs and Aston Villa remain in opposition to ‘anchoring’ limits

The Premier League is to trial two forms of salary cap next season.

At Thursday’s AGM in Harrogate, clubs agreed to implement UEFA’s Squad Cost Rules (SCR) and the controversial ‘anchoring’ system on a ‘shadow basis’ for 2024-25.

Under SCR, clubs are only permitted to spend 85 per cent of revenue on players, while ‘anchoring’, disliked by both Manchester clubs and Aston Villa, limits the amount any club can spend on its squad to five times the sum that the bottom-placed side receives from the league in centralised media and sponsorship revenue.

The current, controversial Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) will remain in place, with clubs permitted to make losses of up to £105m over three years. An attempt by Villa to raise that figure to £135m failed to get the green light.

Elsewhere at the meeting, in Harrogate, Wolves’ proposal to get VAR scrapped was rejected, with the Black Country club the only one of 20 to vote in favour.

Premier League clubs have clubs agreed to implement UEFA’s Squad Cost Rules (SCR) and the controversial ‘anchoring’ system

‘Anchoring’ will the amount any club can spend on its squad to five times the sum that the bottom-placed side receives from the league

Premier League CEO Richard Masters was pictured leaving the AGM in Harrogate on Thursday

City, United and Villa believe that anchoring will unfairly penalise those with significant sums to spend. A vote would be needed at a later stage to introduce both methods following the trial periods.

There was no discussion on the Premier League’s ongoing battle with Manchester City, with a first hearing due on Monday as the champions’ attempt to have rules on associated party transactions thrown out.