AHEAD OF THE GAME: EFL fury over BBC’s £20m Champions League TV deal

The BBC have angered the EFL by shelling out millions to buy Champions League highlights from 2024 after refusing to make a serious bid for their highlights package last season on the grounds it was too expensive.

The three-year deal announced by UEFA last week will cost the BBC about £20million, whereas the broadcaster walked away from talks over weekly EFL highlights of the Championship and Leagues One and Two that would have cost them less than £500,000 a year. 

ITV snapped up the rights in a welcome boost of profile for the EFL after their highlights were shown on Quest last season. 

EFL executives are questioning if the BBC’s approach is consistent with their public service remit, as they are choosing to pay vast sums to UEFA, which will largely end up with wealthy foreign clubs rather than supporting local communities in England. 

This irritation is also felt by other sports — as the BBC have also reduced their coverage of athletics in recent years on the grounds that it does not provide good value for money.

EVERTON HAD TO STRIKE IT RICH

Everton were quick to sell Richarlison to Tottenham last week due to a cash crisis and concerns they may struggle to keep servicing their wage bill without player sales. 

Spurs’ initial bid of £40million was rejected but a follow-up of £50m, with a further £10m in add-ons, was accepted just 24 hours later to provide Everton with the major cash injection they required. 

Everton agreed a £10m-a-year shirt sponsorship with betting firm Stake.com last month but they are yet to replace lucrative commercial deals with companies owned by Alisher Usmanov that were cancelled after the Russian was sanctioned. 

Owner Farhad Moshiri is eager to sell but uncertainty over whether Everton could face sanctions for breaching Financial Fair Play rules is deterring potential buyers. 

Despite Leeds and Burnley dropping their complaints the Premier League have yet to publicly confirm that Everton are in the clear.

Everton were quick to sell Richarlison (pictured) to Tottenham last week due to a cash crisis

RAMS MUST SLASH WAGE BILL

New Derby County owner David Clowes’ first task, having finally taken control at Pride Park last week, is to cut the club’s wage bill by at least 33 per cent.

Under the terms of a business plan agreed with the EFL, which enabled the club to finally exit administration after nine months of uncertainty, Derby’s wage bill will be restricted to around £8 million next season — which is £4m less than they spent on player salaries when they were relegated from the Championship last season. 

The amount Derby can spend on agent fees is also capped and all new signings and player contracts must be agreed with the EFL in advance.

New Derby County owner David Clowes’s first task is to cut the wage bill by 33 per cent

MORE ACCRINGTON ACRIMONY 

Accrington Stanley owner Andy Holt has found another way to irritate the EFL by refusing to attend a safeguarding course, which the league have recommended to directors at all 72 clubs to ensure compliance with the Sheldon Review, the 710-page report produced by Clive Sheldon QC into historic cases of child sexual abuse. 

Holt told Sportsmail that he is too busy to attend the course himself but has delegated the matter to chief executive Dave Burgess. 

EFL executives have noted that Holt is also too busy to attend the divisional meetings at which key issues are discussed, although his absence has not prevented him making public criticism of the EFL board on a range of issues such as the iFollow streaming service and their handling of the pandemic.

Accrington Stanley owner Andy Holt (pictured) has found another way to irritate the EFL

GILLETT PLONKS FOR BORDEAUX

Former Liverpool director Foster Gillett, the son of the unpopular ex-owner George Gillett Jnr, is continuing his search for a club following the collapse of his attempted purchase of Lyon last month. 

Gillett was gazumped in the battle for Lyon by Crystal Palace shareholder John Textor, who is buying a majority stake which values the Ligue 1 club at £705 million, so he has now turned his attentions to Bordeaux. 

The six-times French champions are on the brink of bankruptcy and have been relegated to the third division, with Gillett seeking to take advantage.

Former Liverpool director Foster Gillett (pictured, right) is looking to buy Bordeaux