Aston Villa join Man City in opposing new APT rules

Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris believes an "embattled" Premier League needs a "fresh start"

Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris has said the club will join Manchester City in voting against amendments the Premier League has proposed to rules governing commercial deals.

On Friday, top-flight clubs will vote on the changes to Associated Party Transaction regulations (APTs) at a Premier League meeting.

Sawiris, Egypt's richest man, argued the league needed a "fresh start" and as such the vote on APTs should be delayed until February to increase the chances of "unanimous support".

Manchester City have already written to the 19 other clubs expressing their "fundamental concern" over what they claim are "unlawful" amendments the Premier League has proposed.

In October, both City and the Premier League claimed victory after the decision of an arbitration panel over APTs.

In a statement released to the Telegraph, Sawiris confirmed Villa "would be voting against" the APT changes.

"In our view, a vote in 90 days on amended terms taking into consideration the tribunal’s findings will have a significantly greater chance of securing the unanimous support of all 20 Premier League clubs," he said.

"Crucially, a unanimous vote will present a fresh start for an embattled Premier League that began with the failed attempt to launch a Super League in 2021."

Sawiris said it was "more important than ever" for the Premier League to present a "united front" in light of the government's proposed new football regulator.

He added: "In our view, this will be far more easily achieved if the APT vote is held in February and supported unanimously by all clubs."

Among the proposed changes to the APT rules, the Premier League wants to make shareholder loans subject to a fair market value assessment as well as reversing amendments made in February.

Sawiris said he is keen to ensure the Premier League avoids any further "astronomical" legal costs.

In an 11-page letter seen by the BBC, the Premier League wrote to Manchester City, saying it "rejects in the strongest possible terms the repeated and baseless assertions" that "either the league or its representatives have acted in any way contrary to the league's obligations as a regulator, or has 'misled' clubs."