Which firms audit Premier League clubs? Why Man City doesn’t use Big Four Auditors?Manchester City’s long-running financial case has drawn fresh attention to the accountants behind England’s biggest teams, but an external auditor does not decide whether a club has complied with Premier League rules.
Manchester City uses BDO rather than one of the Big Four, while Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG audit several of the club’s leading rivals. That difference has generated considerable interest as supporters examine the financial structures behind Premier League football.
However, a statutory audit and a Premier League disciplinary investigation serve different purposes. An auditor examines a club’s financial statements and provides an opinion on whether they give a true and fair view. It does not approve transfer spending, rule on individual sponsorship agreements or determine the outcome of a case brought under the league’s regulations.
Last updated: 26 September 2026.
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Which Firms Audit the Premier League’s Big Six Clubs?
The table below is based on the latest publicly available audited accounts checked for each club. The named legal entity matters because a football group may contain several companies, and different subsidiaries can occasionally use different auditors.
| Club | Audited entity | Latest period checked | Auditor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Arsenal Holdings Limited | 31 May 2025 | Deloitte LLP |
| Chelsea | Chelsea FC Holdings Limited | 30 June 2025 | KPMG LLP |
| Liverpool | The Liverpool Football Club and Athletic Grounds Limited | 31 May 2025 | Ernst & Young LLP |
| Manchester City | Manchester City Football Club Limited | 30 June 2025 | BDO LLP |
| Manchester United | Manchester United plc | 30 June 2025 | PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham Hotspur Limited | 30 June 2025 | Deloitte LLP |
Auditor appointments can change following a tender, rotation process or corporate restructuring. Readers can check the latest filings through the Companies House pages for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
1. What Does a Football Club’s Auditor Actually Do?
An external auditor examines the financial statements prepared by a club’s directors. The work normally includes testing selected transactions, assessing accounting estimates, reviewing internal controls relevant to the audit and considering whether the club can continue as a going concern.
The objective is to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement caused by fraud or error. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but it is not a guarantee that every mistake or undisclosed transaction will be discovered.
An auditor may examine areas such as:
- broadcasting, commercial and matchday revenue;
- player registration costs and amortisation;
- profits or losses recorded on player sales;
- wages, bonuses and agent fees;
- stadium debt and other borrowing;
- related-party transactions;
- the assumptions used in the going-concern assessment.
Responsibility for preparing accurate accounts remains with the club’s directors. The auditor reviews those accounts and issues an opinion; it does not take over the management of the club.
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2. Why Do Arsenal and Tottenham Both Use Deloitte?
North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur both appointed Deloitte for the latest accounts reviewed.
Deloitte has an established sports-business practice and publishes the annual Annual Review of Football Finance, which examines the finances of English and European football.
The shared auditor does not mean Arsenal and Tottenham follow the same financial strategy or receive the same advice. Separate audit teams assess the accounts and circumstances of each client and are required to maintain their independence.
For Arsenal, significant areas include commercial growth, European competition income and continued investment in the playing squad. Tottenham’s accounts also contain substantial stadium assets, borrowing and income generated from non-football events.
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3. Who Audits Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea?
Manchester United is audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, commonly shortened to PwC.
The club differs from most Premier League teams because Manchester United plc is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Its reporting therefore includes filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission alongside financial requirements connected to English and European football.
PwC is identified as the auditor in Manchester United’s 2025 annual report.
Liverpool is audited by Ernst & Young LLP, more commonly known as EY. This corrects an earlier version of this article that identified KPMG as Liverpool’s auditor.
Liverpool’s accounts for the year ending 31 May 2025 were filed at Companies House in March 2026. The club uses a May year-end rather than the June 30 date commonly associated with football accounts.
Chelsea FC Holdings Limited, meanwhile, is audited by KPMG LLP. Chelsea’s recent accounts have attracted particular attention because of the club’s transfer activity, long player contracts and transactions involving companies within its ownership structure.
Transfer fees paid for players are generally recorded as intangible assets and expensed over time through amortisation. When an academy player is sold, his remaining accounting value may be very low, allowing most of the fee to be recorded immediately as a profit on disposal.
Calling that amount “pure profit” is convenient football shorthand. It does not mean the transfer fee arrives immediately in cash or that developing the player cost the club nothing.
4. Why Does Manchester City Use BDO Instead of a Big Four Firm?
Manchester City’s accounts are audited by BDO LLP, according to the club’s official 2024/25 financial report.
BDO is not one of the Big Four, but it is a major international accounting network. There is no rule requiring a Premier League club to appoint Deloitte, PwC, EY or KPMG.
A club may consider several factors when selecting an auditor:
- experience with football and sports businesses;
- independence from other services supplied to the group;
- knowledge of the club’s corporate structure;
- continuity of the audit team;
- capacity, timetable and audit fee;
- the outcome of a competitive tender.
Manchester City has not publicly provided a detailed explanation of why BDO was chosen instead of a Big Four firm. It would therefore be misleading to present one speculative reason as fact.
BDO issued an unmodified opinion on Manchester City Football Club Limited’s accounts for the year ending 30 June 2025. The report said the financial statements gave a true and fair view under the applicable accounting framework.
An unmodified opinion is sometimes casually described as a “clean audit”. It is an opinion on the financial statements, not a guarantee that every transaction has been individually examined or that the club has complied with every rule imposed by a sporting body.
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5. Does Manchester City’s Auditor Decide the Premier League Case?
No. Manchester City’s statutory audit and the Premier League’s disciplinary proceedings are separate processes.
On 6 February 2023, the Premier League announced that it had referred a number of alleged rule breaches by Manchester City to an independent commission. The allegations cover several areas, including the provision of accurate financial information, sponsorship revenue, related parties, managerial and player remuneration, UEFA financial regulations and cooperation with the league’s investigation.
Manchester City have consistently denied wrongdoing. As of this update, the independent commission has not published its final decision.
The long wait for an outcome has increased interest in Manchester City’s accounts and its external auditor, BDO. That does not mean BDO brought the charges or will decide whether the club breached Premier League rules.
BDO’s responsibility is to examine Manchester City Football Club Limited’s statutory financial statements under the applicable accounting and auditing standards. The Premier League, by contrast, interprets and enforces its own competition rules through its regulatory and disciplinary procedures.
An unmodified audit opinion does not automatically prove that a club has complied with every Premier League regulation. Equally, the existence of disciplinary allegations does not by itself establish that the statutory accounts were materially misstated.
The appointment of an auditor outside the Big Four is also not evidence of wrongdoing. BDO is an established international accounting network, and there is no Premier League requirement for clubs to use a Big Four firm.
Readers can view the Premier League’s original statement on the Manchester City charges. This article will be updated when the independent commission publishes its decision.
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6. Have the Premier League’s PSR Rules Been Replaced?
Yes. The Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules applied through the 2025/26 season, but they were replaced at the beginning of 2026/27 by Squad Cost Ratio and Sustainability and Systemic Resilience rules.
Under the new Premier League financial system, SCR concentrates on spending connected to the playing squad. Squad costs include player and head-coach wages, agents’ fees, transfer-fee amortisation and impairment.
The standard green threshold is 85% of football-related revenue and net profit or loss from player sales. Clubs can initially receive additional headroom above that level, while teams competing in UEFA competitions must also satisfy UEFA’s squad-cost requirements.
SSR examines wider financial health through working-capital, liquidity and positive-equity tests.
Audited accounts remain important because they supply verified historical figures. Nevertheless, the Premier League performs its own calculations and can make regulatory adjustments. A statutory accounting profit or loss is not automatically the same as a club’s SCR, SSR or former PSR result.
7. Did Auditors Cause Everton and Nottingham Forest’s Points Deductions?
No. Everton and Nottingham Forest were punished under the former PSR system by independent commissions after cases brought by the Premier League.
Their audited financial statements formed part of the wider financial record, but the auditors did not impose the deductions. The commissions applied Premier League rules, considered permitted adjustments and assessed arguments submitted by the clubs and the League.
Describing auditors as the people who “docked the points” gives them authority they do not possess.
FAQ: Premier League Auditors and Financial Rules
Who audits Manchester City?
BDO LLP audited Manchester City Football Club Limited’s financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2025.
Why does Manchester City not use a Big Four auditor?
Manchester City has not publicly provided a detailed explanation. Premier League clubs are not required to use a Big Four firm, and BDO is a major international accounting network qualified to conduct large corporate audits.
Who audits Manchester United?
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, usually shortened to PwC, audits Manchester United plc.
Who audits Liverpool?
Liverpool’s latest filed group accounts were audited by Ernst & Young LLP, commonly known as EY.
Does every Premier League club use a Big Four auditor?
No. Manchester City’s use of BDO is a prominent example. An eligible independent audit firm does not have to belong to the Big Four.
Does an auditor approve a club’s transfer spending?
No. Club executives decide how much to spend, while the Premier League and UEFA assess compliance with their respective competition rules. The auditor examines the statutory financial statements.
Does a clean audit opinion confirm compliance with Premier League rules?
No. An unmodified audit opinion relates to the financial statements under the relevant accounting framework. Compliance with competition rules is assessed separately by the governing body.
When does the financial year end for Premier League clubs?
Many clubs use June 30, but the date is not universal. Arsenal and Liverpool, for example, used May 31 for the latest accounting periods covered in this article.
Conclusion
The Big Four remain heavily involved in Premier League football, but they do not control the league’s financial regulations. Deloitte audits Arsenal and Tottenham, PwC audits Manchester United, EY audits Liverpool and KPMG audits Chelsea. Manchester City uses BDO.
The attention surrounding Manchester City’s financial case makes the identity of its auditor an understandable subject of interest. However, the distinction remains important: auditors express an opinion on financial statements, while the Premier League determines whether its own rules have been followed.
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