The Big Six clubs are playing hardball with their TV rights demands ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League summit, which is crucial to executive chairman Richard Scudamore keeping orderly control of the top flight.
It has emerged that one of their minimum demands is a 35 per cent share of overseas money, allocated by position in the table rather than being shared equally. The Manchester clubs, Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool had been seeking 40 per cent to reflect the fact that they drive the massive foreign interest.
Scudamore is under enormous pressure to deliver a deal and his authority over the richest league in the world may never be the same if he fails to achieve the required 14-6 majority.