Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson to step up dispute with rival Championship clubs over finances

Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson will step up his dispute with rival Championship clubs on Wednesday in a crunch meeting at Nottingham Forest.

Gibson is demanding an English Football League investigation into the finances of Derby County, Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday, after insisting they could be breaching regulations of the profitability and sustainability rules.

All Championship clubs will meet at Forest’s City Ground in a summit which could trigger an “inter-club war”, according to sources.

Telegraph Sport reported last week that Gibson was “furious” with the financial conduct of certain clubs, and it is understood that many other clubs feel the same. Gibson wants the EFL to conduct an independent review.

Championship clubs also want increased transparency over the profitability and sustainability rules, which were broken by Birmingham City and resulted in a nine-point penalty last month.

The EFL, which has not been invited to Wednesday’s meeting, could be under pressure to amend those rules.