Birmingham Metropolis proprietor Tom Wagner says lower-league golf equipment “mustn’t take an excessive amount of” from prime Premier League sides, amid ongoing negotiations to redistribute a share of their wealth throughout the EFL.
Talks over a deal to share Premier League earnings throughout the soccer pyramid are carrying on towards a backdrop of stress from the federal government as a brand new unbiased soccer regulator is being established.
A invoice to determine the regulator turned regulation in July and can have backstop powers to power a deal ought to it not be agreed.
The Premier League argues English soccer can govern itself, stating a regulator can have “unprecedented and untested powers to intervene within the distribution of [its] revenues” and have “a adverse impression on competitiveness and funding in world class expertise”.
Talking at The Summit, a part of Leaders Week London 2025, Wagner, an American investor, stated: “I believe the highest golf equipment in English soccer must be protected in any respect prices. We won’t take an excessive amount of from the highest golf equipment to assist the pyramid.
“If in case you have a scenario the place the highest groups will not be dominant, I imply internationally, with the easiest gamers and product, then the curiosity will wane – significantly from the US market which can drive curiosity and capital flows into soccer.
“I really like the pyramid – we have now skilled lots of it – however the prime golf equipment which can be extremely profitable have vital model worth and draw curiosity. We hope that curiosity will assist develop your entire pyramid.”
Backed by vital US funding since 2023, Birmingham are among the many richest golf equipment within the EFL and secured a report 111 factors when incomes promotion from League One to the Championship final season.
Birmingham spent £25m in League One final season, greater than the remainder of the division mixed, based on Transfermarkt.
They’re among the many greatest spenders within the EFL, together with Welsh membership Wrexham, who’re owned by a consortium that options Hollywood duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
Eleven of the 20 groups within the Premier League have US house owners and a two-thirds majority might enable them to band collectively to vote by way of main adjustments within the sport, together with a much-debated abroad thirty ninth match.
Wagner is supportive of enjoying a match abroad in america, with the membership having floated the thought of enjoying Wrexham there final season.
He stated: “We now have two US-owned golf equipment within the Championship and our matches did very effectively within the US when broadcast. I believe we’re solely scratching the floor of what we will do internationally and that is very thrilling.”
The co-founder of Knighthead Capital Administration additionally spoke extensively about Birmingham’s Sport Quarter improvement plans, which embody a proposed multipurpose 62,000-seat stadium.
The membership imagine the stadium will enable Birmingham to turn into extra of a soccer vacation spot because it “would not make sense” that folks hold travelling to London and Manchester however skip the “second metropolis”.
Wagner additionally stated he would welcome Birmingham’s native rivals having fun with on-field success.
“I respect followers benefit from the distress of their crosstown rivals,” he stated, “but when I used to be to root towards Villa or Wolves in our speedy space then I’m rooting towards golf equipment within the Birmingham space and lessening the standard of Birmingham soccer.
“Manchester United and Metropolis are two nice golf equipment in the identical metropolis, London have lots of nice crosstown rivals, so why would not we wish that for Birmingham to extend the curiosity?”
Wagner additionally defined that he and his colleagues had little interest in multi-club possession and that that they had explored investing a minority stake in a London facet however thought of it overvalued earlier than shopping for into Birmingham.
