Everton have dominated the headlines in the last week, for finally standing up to PSR.
After years of being hamstrung, constantly teetering on the limit of punishment, last Premier League season saw the outcome that nobody thought would ever come.
The Toffees were dealt two separate points deductions in just one campaign, and were it not for Sean Dyche, relegation would certainly have loomed.
Evertonians were rightly incensed, as they felt that their club, which was making clear and obvious efforts to become more sustainable, were being further punished by a set of rules now unfit for purpose.
Well, Kevin Thelwell has seemingly found one way around these archaic statutes at last.
Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite transfer stance revealed
Offering just a £9m sum for Tim Iroegbunam last week, the Toffees welcomed the 20-year-old midfielder to Goodison Park as their first signing of the summer.
Then, just a day later, Lewis Dobbin went the other way, joining Aston Villa for £10m.
As a couple of academy graduates, these sums represent pure profit for the selling club, and has thus provided an ample boost to their coffers.
Such was the intelligence of this move, the Premier League is now scrambling to close this PSR loophole.
And now, with this fresh and free cash injection, The Athletic have outlined what this means for other sales, with Jarrad Branthwaite still wanted by Manchester United.
They write: ‘They are working with other clubs facing similar issues, including Villa, with the deals for Dobbin and Iroegbunam the logical product of that process.
‘That business strengthens their PSR position and means they can, at the very least, hold out for top money when clubs come in for Branthwaite and Onana. Everton are still likely to listen to offers for the duo but they have lofty valuations.’
Everton could have pulled off a PSR miracle
If this Dobbin deal proves to be the one that helps them avoid further PSR sanctions and lets them keep ahold of Branthwaite, Thelwell deserves a knighthood.
After all, going into this summer, all Evertonians could expect was the worst.
With a takeover that seemed set never to end, and no alternative suitors to rival the deplorable 777 Partners, there was no reason for positivity in this half of Merseyside.
Now, after just a month, things have never looked (or shone, rather) so bright.
With Dan Friedkin surely taking over, and the club seemingly in a strong and stable position, potentially set to add a few more names too should they continue to exploit their PSR loophole, this might actually be the transformative summer which helps Everton reestablish themselves as a Premier League mainstay seeking to usurp the traditional big six.