Man City & Newcastle told they should be allowed to spend freely by 'godfather of PSR' as comparison with Elon Musk's 'personal wealth' made

Famous British sports lawyer Nick de Marco, who is often known as the 'Godfather' of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, has urged the authorities to allow clubs like Man City and Newcastle to spend more freely on their transfer targets. He has fought several high-profile cases in football, including Benjamin Mendy's £11m in unpaid wages claim from City.

The 57-year-old further explained his stance on transfer spending by bringing in the example of American billionaire Musk as he drew a comparisons between the X (formerly Twitter) owner's wealth and state-backed clubs like the Cityzens and the Magpies. De Marco, however, advocated some sort of check to be present to maintain a balance in the league.

Speaking to the BBC, the senior counsel said, "There is nothing unsustainable about how Manchester City, Newcastle or other [similarly owned] clubs are run. They are very sustainable. The new point people are making is about competition. I understand there may need to be some upper caps. But let's not get diverted into this argument about whether it is state-owned or not, which, of course, there are legal points about.

"Imagine if Elon Musk bought a club in the Premier League. He must have a personal wealth of more than many states in the world now. You see how he has taken over Twitter, now X, and completely changed it. He is very powerful. Would it be any different if it was a private individual or a state? I think the focus on state is a bit of a mistake. I think owners should be allowed to invest a bit more money if they want to but they have to guarantee it so they can't just pull the plug."

City and Newcastle will be back in action in the Premier League on Wednesday as they face Nottingham Forest and Liverpool respectively. The reigning champions, who have lost their last four league games, will aim to get back to winning ways at home.