Sir Jim Ratcliffe warns over-regulation could ‘ruin’ Premier League

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe understands why rivals Manchester City are challenging Premier League financial rules, and warned the competition faces “ruin” if regulation goes too far.

City are suing the league over its associated party transaction (APT) rules, which are designed to ensure commercial deals linked to a club’s ownership are done for fair market value.

Ratcliffe sympathised with City, and told Bloomberg: “I can understand why they are challenging it. You can understand why they would say that they want an open market, (a) free market.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Ratcliffe:

:: Described a new Premier League spending cap proposal called anchoring “absurd”.

:: Said Nice would be placed in trust next season to comply with UEFA rules on multi-club ownership and allow them and United to play in the Europa League.

:: Admitted there was room for improvement “everywhere” at United, and that a marquee signing like Kylian Mbappe is “not the solution” at the moment.

Ratcliffe said the Premier League needed to be “careful” not to end up in “an endless legal wrangle with lots of clubs”.

Everton and Nottingham Forest were docked a combined eight points for breaching the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) last season, while City face a hearing in the autumn charged with 115 breaches of Premier League rules.

Ratcliffe said: “The Premier League is probably the most successful sporting league in the world, certainly the most successful football league in the world. And we have this expression in northern England: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’

“If you start interfering too much, bringing too much regulation in, then you finish up with the Manchester City issue, you finish up with the