Leeds United may consider more than legal action as Premier League 'sham' called out by expert

Leeds United could be set to enter their very own legal battle, following the recent case involving Burnley and Everton.

Last week, it was confirmed that the Clarets would receive compensation from the Toffees following PSR breaches back in 2022.

The Merseyside club have been ordered to pay around £35million to Burnley, with the Clarets relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2021-22 season.

The argument was put forward by the Lancashire club that they may have stayed up, had Everton been punished for the breaches in the season they were charged.

This has now opened a can of worms in English football, with Leeds reportedly considering their own action against Leicester, with the pair relegated to the Championship in 2023.

Looking at the situation, Stefan Borson on X has suggested that there could well be more than just legal action to pursue.

Leeds could go further than legal action

Relegated alongside Leicester and Southampton, Leeds' Premier League journey would come to an end after just three years in 2023.

After poor spells for Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia, the West Yorkshire outfit would drop down to the Championship with Sam Allardyce at the helm - bringing a miserable end to a dismal campaign.

Looking back at the situation, Borson argued: "Leeds are considering legal action vs Leicester. I suspect they are considering more than that. Three of the five clubs in the 2022-23 Premier League relegation battle had PSR breaches (one of them allegedly).

Looking at the numbers, it was added: "Nottingham Forest admitted a PSR breach of £34.5m above their £61m threshold in FY23. Forest received a 4-point deduction, but it was applied in 2023-24. In the season Leeds went down, Forest paid no regulatory price at all."

Everton's issues were also raised - "Their FY22 breach gave them a squad advantage that also carried directly into 2022-23. Their FY23 breach added a further £16.6m over the threshold in the same season as Leeds' relegation.

"The combined sanction, 6 points for FY22 and 2 points for FY23, was also applied in 2023-24, the season that determined Leeds' fate. Everton was fielding a squad built on two consecutive years of overspending, with zero points deducted."

Leicester's problems are well documented, with Borson touching on it by saying sporting advantage could still be established in law, after the Foxes were finally punished last season - relegated to League One as a result.

Concluding, Borson said: "The 2022-23 relegation battle has now been seen to be a sham. Leeds spent two seasons in the Championship because of it, whilst various commissions heard cases about breaches by other clubs.

"Leeds are already said to have settled a small claim against Everton for 2021-22. The 2022-23 claim looks far bigger. They just need to work out who owes what."

Is 2022-23 case worth revisiting for Leeds?

Of course, the dust has settled for Leeds, with the Whites promoted back to the Premier League under Daniel Farke in May 2025.

However, the Burnley and Everton case has opened up a new can of worms across England, with the precedent now there for rulings to be made in retrospect - even four seasons later.

Leicester are now a League One club, but both Everton and Nottingham Forest have been ever-present in the top flight since.

While the points totals alone wouldn't have saved Leeds even with the deductions, their lack of points against those affected in that season proves an advantage and strengthens their case.

The Whites have restructured since then, and now look far more capable of settling in the Premier League.

But based on the recent verdict at Turf Moor, the case may well just be worth revisiting for Leeds.