Daniel Levy has warned that UEFA's new financial sustainability regulations will lead to 'some form of wage control' after the Spurs chairman was asked about the growing threat of Newcastle United.
Newcastle are currently three points clear of Spurs in the race for the Champions League, with a game in hand, ahead of these top four rivals facing off at St James' Park. Newcastle may still have a further seven matches to play this season, but the Magpies could land a huge psychological blow in the battle to finish fourth on Sunday.
There is certainly a huge prize on offer in the coming weeks. Returning to Europe's top table for the first time in 20 years would be a real game-changer for Newcastle when it comes to how much Eddie Howe can spend this summer, the fair market sponsorship deals the club can command and the quality of players the ambitious black-and-whites can attract.
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Yet it is important to stress that the hierarchy intend to continue to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, regardless of where Newcastle finish this season, and this will remain a sustainable build with a tight wage structure to boot. Those at the top are well-aware that UEFA's new rules mean that clubs competing in Europe will only be able to spend 70% of revenues on wages, transfer fees and agents' fees by 2025/26 as Levy knows only too well, too.
During a question and answer session with the Cambridge Union, Levy was asked about the 'super wealth' coming into the game at Newcastle and what 'implications' it would have for Spurs in the future.
"Well, firstly, there are new UEFA rules coming into effect this season where sustainability is going to become much more paramount in people's minds," the Spurs chairman said. "You will be limited to the amount you can spend on wages and transfer fees to a percentage of your total turnover.
"It's starting off at 90% and, over three years, it's going down to 70%. The impact of that is effectively some form of wage control. Even though clubs have been spending very heavily - if you talk about someone like Chelsea - now the new rules come into effect this summer, you will find, regardless of who is the owner, it's going to have quite an impact on the financing of football."
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