Leicester City’s long-running financial troubles have taken a decisive turn, with the English Football League (EFL) deducting six points for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules — a development that directly impacts Zambian striker Patson Daka and his club’s immediate future.
The penalty is applied with immediate effect, dropping the Foxes from 17th to 20th in the Championship, leaving them outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.
The sanction follows charges first brought by the Premier League in May relating to losses over the three years up to the 2023–24 season. Although the case originated under Premier League jurisdiction, Leicester’s relegation last season meant the matter was concluded under EFL PSR rules. The independent commission ruled the club overspent the EFL’s £83m limit by £20.8m, ultimately settling on a six-point deduction — half of the maximum available — citing Leicester’s improving financial position.
For Patson Daka, the points deduction dramatically alters the narrative of his season. Instead of being part of a promotion chase back to the Premier League, the Chipolopolo forward now finds himself embroiled in a relegation fight, with Leicester hovering perilously close to the drop into League One.
The shift raises fresh questions about the club’s stability and the competitive environment surrounding Zambia’s most high-profile European-based striker.
Leicester have struggled badly on the pitch, winning none of their last four Championship matches and losing three, including recent home defeats to Oxford United and Charlton Athletic. The club is also without a permanent manager after Martí Cifuentes was sacked in January, with former club captain Andy King currently serving as interim head coach ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Birmingham City.
In a strongly worded statement, Leicester described the punishment as “disproportionate” and confirmed they are reviewing their options, though the uncertainty that has hung over the club for years has now been lifted.
For Daka and his teammates, the equation is brutally simple: results are needed, and quickly.
With clarity finally achieved, Leicester’s ambitions — and Daka’s season — are now firmly centred on Championship survival, a stark reminder of how swiftly fortunes can change both on and off the pitch.
