Premier League's £1.5bn New Deal offer faces EFL resistance as West Ham ownership battle intensifies

The Premier League has finally tabled its long-awaited New Deal to the EFL, but the offer has been dismissed as inadequate while off-field dramas unfold at West Ham and Betfred.

The Premier League has presented a formal proposal to the English Football League after more than three years of on-off negotiations, offering roughly £1.5bn in additional funding over the next decade. The deal would be financed partly by raising the domestic transfer levy from four per cent to six per cent, with a requirement that recipient clubs spend at least 20 per cent of the money on infrastructure rather than player wages or agent fees.

The EFL responded immediately by calling the terms inadequate and demanding more money. Its chair, Rick Parry, is widely expected to hold out for a larger sum, a stance that could push the dispute toward the Independent Football Regulator and its backstop powers. A £20m lifeboat fund for clubs falling into administration has also been criticised as too small to make a meaningful difference.

Meanwhile, West Ham United is embroiled in a boardroom tussle that could shape the club's immediate future. Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire who holds a 24.8 per cent stake, has sold 2.2 per cent to an ally, Jakub Havrlant. The move is understood to be a tactical step to avoid crossing the 50 per cent ownership threshold, which would trigger a mandatory offer for the remaining shareholders at a valuation estimated around £1bn, far above the £600m price tag attached to the Gold family's 25.1 per cent holding.

If successful, the manoeuvre would block Amanda Staveley's agreed purchase of the Gold stake, denying her a return to English football after her involvement with Newcastle United. West Ham begin the new Championship campaign having retained much of their relegated squad, but the off-field distraction is unwelcome for a club targeting an immediate return to the top flight.

In a separate development, Betfred has announced the closure of 132 betting shops, more than 10 per cent of its estate. Co-founder Fred Done, now Britain's largest individual taxpayer, had threatened to shut all 1,200 outlets after the Budget increased gambling levies and employers' national insurance contributions. The partial retreat still represents a significant blow to high streets, where betting shops drive footfall for neighbouring retailers.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration has taken a hostile stance toward the gambling sector, a policy that appears at odds with its stated goal of reviving town centres. Industry insiders warn that Betfred's closures may be only the beginning unless the regulatory and tax burden eases.

With the EFL likely to reject the Premier League's first formal offer, the West Ham shareholder battle entering a critical phase, and high street bookmakers retreating, English football's business landscape faces a period of unusual turbulence before the new season settles into a rhythm.