Arsenal is not concerned about the recent Manchester City legal case verdict, which ruled in favor of extending Associated Party Transactions (APT) rules to shareholder loans. Despite initial media claims suggesting that this could impact Arsenal, particularly with regard to existing loans from their owners, the club is unlikely to face any financial repercussions.
Ben Rumsby from The Telegraph explains that Arsenal, like others, will avoid immediate liability for additional interest on owner loans, as the Premier League confirmed that only future loans will be affected by the rule changes. Existing loans, including Arsenal’s £259 million shareholder loans, will not be reviewed retroactively.
The media buzz, fueled by Mike Keegan in The Daily Mail, had suggested Arsenal might be in trouble, but this claim has since been updated, and the article’s section on Arsenal’s concerns was removed. Keegan’s original version is still accessible through web archives, though it appears the facts do not support the initial fears.
Nineteen of the twenty Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, had initially voted to exclude shareholder loans from APT rules, but City later reversed its stance, clearly driven by self-interest.
