West Brom PSR dispute clouds survival fight with sanction timing unclear | OneFootball

West Brom’s survival push is shrouded in uncertainty after an alleged PSR breach left sanction timing unclear as the season nears its climax. James Morrison’s side visit Preston in a crucial fixture.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, the EFL’s club financial reporting unit has issued a compliance report, with the dispute said to relate to interest on loans from the Guochuan Lai era. The alleged breach concerns 2024/25, though the date the report was received is unclear.

Albion are one place and two points above the drop after Portsmouth’s surprise win at Ipswich on Tuesday, while rivals Blackburn were beaten. Three straight draws in a seven-match unbeaten run have underlined the need for wins.

The club insist they have complied with PSR, which limits losses to £41.5 million over three rolling years after rising from £39 million last year. They say they have not crossed that line and will continue to co-operate with the CFRU. Albion had 14 days to respond, with potential mitigation including Shilen Patel’s Bilkul takeover in February 2024 arriving mid-cycle and close work with the EFL since.

A hearing must then be held within 28 days of the initial report, which could fall around Albion’s finale on May 2, leaving little or no chance to react on the field. Rules state any sanction would apply in the season following the breach, while the Championship runs until the play-off final on May 23. The EFL AGM is typically held in early June and it is claimed fixture release day on June 25 is viewed administratively as the end of the previous season.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com