Everton are expected to endure a summer where once again their financial restrictions will prevent them from strengthening their squad.
Instead, these next few months are all about consolidation, and finding a way to ensure that the team at least retains the bulk of its core whilst also passing the PSR deadline too.
That June 30th date is looming over the Toffees like a dark cloud, and on a day when the good weather actually seems to have returned to Merseyside, so too did the good news.
That is, an opportunity to offload a bit-part player in such a fashion that it might provide the necessary relief to strengthen their bargaining position with Jarrad Branthwaite, and
Aston Villa close in on Lewis Dobbin transfer
The player in question is of course Lewis Dobbin, who entered talks with Aston Villa and is seemingly poised to make the switch.
And who could blame him? The dynamic winger would be joining a Champions League club, managed by one of Europe’s best coaches, and entering into a squad laden with talent.
The latest on Dobbin’s move to Villa suggested that: ‘Everton winger Lewis Dobbin has held positive talks over a transfer to Aston Villa’.
It is surprising to see the Villans so intent on the 21-year-old, who has made just one Premier League start in his entire career, but clearly Unai Emery has seen something.
Lewis Dobbin could solve Everton’s PSR nightmare
Given their trajectory in recent years, it would seem only way is further up for the Birmingham outfit, and the least they could do is offer the Toffees something in return for snagging Dobbin.
So, given Everton’s interest in Tim Iroegbunam there might make for a rather lucrative PSR loophole in play, seeing two academy graduates trade clubs and thus handing each team a lump sum.
However, in terms of the actual funds offloaded, it is expected that these will come in instalments, so that the actual ‘buying club’ pays next to nothing upfront.
Whilst this is all speculatory, it does seem rather coincidental that two clubs set to be lambasted by PSR are concocting deals between academy prospects.
Then, for Everton, the arrival of Iroegbunam will likely make the potential exit of Amadou Onana more sanctionable, thus perfectly allowing them to bypass any further punishment.
It is a foolproof plan, and would see Dobbin become the most unlikely of Everton heroes, thus saving their summer.