Liverpool have been banned from signing academy players for the next two years after being found guilty of illegally approaching a Stoke City schoolboy by the Premier League.
Liverpool were investigated after the club attempted to sign an 11-year-old from Stoke with the agreement that they would pay his private school fees.
Liverpool went back on their promise after discovering Premier League rule 299.1, which states that clubs are not allowed to offer private school education to only a select few of their academy players.
The boy’s parents issued a formal complaint to the Premier League after they were left to pay thousands of pounds worth of school fees.
Liverpool are now unable to sign academy players from Premier League or English Football League teams for two years, although the second year of the ban is suspended for three years.
The club have also been fined £100,000.
A statement from the Premier League read: ‘Liverpool have cooperated with the Premier League’s inquiries in a timely and thorough manner and admitted the rule breaches asserted against them.
‘The club will pay a fine of £100,000 and will be prohibited from registering any Academy players who have been registered with a Premier League or EFL club in the preceding 18 months.
‘This ban will last for two years, with the second year suspended for a three-year period (to be activated in the event of any further similar breach by the club).’
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