Everton’s summer is one already being dominated by PSR, but not in the way that many expected.
After all, the cashflow issues that are plaguing the Toffees have been present for years now, ever since Farhad Moshiri decided he no longer wanted to be a part of this club.
First seeking to offload to 777 Partners, nearly ten months of botched negotiations has since seen AS Roma owner Dan Friedkin emerge as the saviour, set to assume control and guide Everton into a brighter era.
However, that starts here and now, with Sean Dyche and Kevin Thelwell seeking to provide the best possible foundation for long-term success before the official confirmation of the deal.
Avoiding further financial punishment will certainly go a long way towards accomplishing that.
Everton and Aston Villa agree deals for Tim Iroegbunam and Lewis Dobbin
The Toffees recorded their first signing of the summer late last week, welcoming Tim Iroegbunam to Goodison Park for a £9m fee.
However, just a day later, Everton would then unfortunately say goodbye to Lewis Dobbin, an academy graduate who went the other way for another reported sum of just £10m.
Neither of these players had made more than two Premier League starts for their respective clubs, and yet both commanded large figures for them.
It has left many frustrated and confused, but for Evertonians and Villans, the plan is simple.
By offloading academy products, the selling club welcomes in pure profit.
Meanwhile, the buying club will likely only pay in instalments, and even then that will be amortised over a long-term contract.
At last, it seems Everton are acting with some cheekiness in the market, and the intelligence needed to find necessary loopholes to survive.
Everton and Aston Villa make a mockery of PSR
Whilst there is justification for these two deals, as it allows Everton to sell Amadou Onana without much worry of a replacement, whilst providing Unai Emery with another much-needed winger, it is the financial element of the deals that make the most sense.
After all, with the June 30th PSR deadline just around the corner, some sort of influx of cash was needed.
These are two clubs that were both expected to be subject to intense financial scrutiny ahead of this date, and yet that will surely have eased now.
People might complain, and rightly so, but that is the nature of PSR and its various flaws.
It is not a rule that promotes fairness and equality. It is a rule that hampers progression and promotes sketchy loopholes to gain the edge over an opponent.
Disgruntled fans need only look at Manchester City, who are still yet to face judgement on their 115 cases.
It seems that, just as their having the best lawyers is helping them avoid punishment, Everton and Villa have an equally impressive transfer team, capable of coming up with this neat plan to circumvent sanctions again.