The long-running financial dispute between the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) has moved closer to a resolution after Premier League clubs voted unanimously to approve a new funding proposal.

The Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that all 20 of its member clubs had backed the proposal, which outlines a new ten-year strategic partnership between the two bodies. The deal will now be put to EFL members for a vote in the coming days.

What we know about the deal

No official figure has been attached to the proposal, with both sides preferring to keep negotiations out of the public domain. On Saturday, Sky News reported the sum as £1.5bn, though the Premier League has neither confirmed nor denied this figure.

The Premier League stated that the proposal is fully funded and is expected to be financed through a transfer levy. It also highlighted that it already commits a record £1.6bn every three years to the wider game and local communities.

"The Premier League remains committed to finding a football-led solution and looks forward to continuing discussions with the EFL on progressing this proposal," the league said in a statement.

EFL's response

The EFL welcomed the development but stressed that full scrutiny lies ahead. Its board will examine the proposal's details, including the potential benefits and long-term implications for its 72 member clubs, before entering further dialogue with the Premier League.

"The proposal will then be discussed in detail with our member clubs to determine next steps," the EFL said.

A dispute years in the making

The funding row dates back to a fan-led review commissioned by the British government in 2021, prompted by a series of crises in English football — among them the collapse of Bury FC and the failed European Super League project.

The standoff dragged on for years. By March 2024, government officials warned both organisations that if they could not agree independently, a settlement would be imposed on them. Tuesday's meeting between Premier League representatives, EFL officials, and the newly formed Independent Football Regulator was described as constructive.

Resistance from within the Premier League centred partly on the principle of funding clubs that compete to enter their division, as well as the fact that some EFL clubs — Stoke City among them — are backed by owners wealthier than those of certain Premier League sides.