Everton completed their first two deals of the transfer window last week, welcoming in Tim Iroegbunam whilst Lewis Dobbin went in the other direction.
It was a deal orchestrated by two clubs set to be hamstrung by PSR, and the nature of it, swapping academy graduates, sparked interest.
After all, there was little fanfare made as they each went about the move with minimal fuss, acquiring players that have little Premier League experience, and are unlikely to make an immediate impact on their respective new clubs.
But, as has since been theorised, the actual player transfer was secondary.
It was instead the fees recouped for the sales of two academy graduates, which will go down as pure profit, that has wrought the true benefits of this switch around.
Everton force the Premier League to scramble over PSR
The latest information, reported by iNews, actually details the frustration that this deal has caused.
In fact, the Premier League are so incensed that they are seemingly already scrambling to find a way to shut this loophole before it is further exploited. Everton are clearly doing something right.
The report states: ‘It is much simpler for academy players: any fee received for them is pure profit with none of the complications. That explains why the Iroegbunam and Dobbin deals make sense to Everton and Villa.
‘But few clubs are truly happy with the situation, which incentivises the selling of homegrown players. Indeed i understands that there is a possibility of a Premier League working group looking into the issue, which is worrying academy directors. They want this PSR loophole closed.’
It will be interesting to see how this helps Everton in their pursuit of Yankuba Minteh, with a hefty sum expected to pry him from Newcastle United.
Chelsea’s dodgy hotel deal did not raise such a fuss
It is quite ironic that one simple deal between two bastions of English football, in which they effectively swapped academy prospects, has kicked up such a fuss.
If only there was this much uproar when Chelsea sold two hotels near Stamford Bridge for £75.6million, coincidentally to a consortium led by the club’s owner Todd Boehly.
This sale reduced the club’s losses significantly, and helped them come just underneath the PSR threshold, just avoiding punishment.
The West London outfit has spent over £1bn since the American took over, and yet have made no clear progress in terms of Premier League position.
Stuck in mid-table, they are far from the picture of sustainability.
And yet, whilst they were allowed to spend freely, the cash-strapped Toffees alongside Nottingham Forest were punished relentlessly throughout the season, with Aston Villa their latest target.
It is refreshing to now see Everton use a similar underhanded tactic to forge their own success and avoid sanctions of their own through nefarious, intelligent means.