Chris Dunlavy

Chris Dunlavy: Parachute payments are the real problem with Premier League handout

Chris Dunlavy argues that the Premier League’s proposed £1.8billion funding boost for the EFL will do little to close the competitive gap while parachute payments continue to drive up Championship wages.

by
Chris Dunlavy
27 September 2026

So, let me get this straight. The Premier League have offered EFL clubs an extra £1.8billion over the next decade – but say the money can’t be spent on players’ wages.

What’s the point? It’s a bit like giving your local fire brigade state-of-the-art water cannons and a fleet of new trucks – then insisting they can’t be used to fight fires.
Or buying the kids a new games console for Christmas and refusing to give them any controllers.
The problem is not that our clubs are skint. The problem is that the Premier League makes too much money relative to the EFL, creating a competitive gulf that ...

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