A financial expert has discussed how the Premier League’s crackdown on ‘swap deals’ amongst clubs could affect Aston Villa.
Throughout June 2024, an overarching theme in the Premier League has been the ‘swap deals’ involving its clubs.
This was where both clubs would sell each other a player, mainly involving those who progressed through their academies.
Aston Villa were one of the main clubs involved in these deals. The Birmingham outfit sold Tim Iroegbunam to Everton with Lewis Dobbin coming the other way in a separate deal.
On top of this, it is expected that Villa will sign Ian Maatsen from Chelsea with Omari Kellyman transferring to the London club, again in a separate deal.
After this caused concern with some fellow top-flight sides, the Premier League has now written to their clubs to express their concerns.
The Premier League has written to clubs over ‘swap deal’ concerns
The major concern coming from these transfers is that clubs are doing these transfers to exploit a potential loophole in PSR, with the deadline coming up on Monday.
This is because any academy player sold by a club is seen a ‘pure profit’ which helps the side avoid any breaches.
Therefore, the Premier League sent a letter out warning clubs that part of the transfer fee would have to be sent back if it decides that it was ‘inflated’.
The letter also claims that the clubs may have to provide information and evidence to determine that the transfer was conducted at a ‘arm’s length’.
However, there is nothing to suggest that anyone has yet breached the rules, including Aston Villa.
Read more: How much money Aston Villa will make from the Champions League.
How does the Premier League’s ‘swap deal’ letter affect Aston Villa?
This news obviously may worry many of the Villa Park faithful due to their deals this summer.
Therefore, Aston Villa News has exclusively spoken to financial expert Adam Williams who is Head of Football Finance & Governance Content at GRV Media for his take on the Villains’ situation.
“People can argue – and, in my view, with some justification – that these quasi-swap deals are against the spirit of PSR,” he stated.
“But in engineering these deals, Villa have not broken any rules, so long as the deals are considered fair value.
“Fair value is, ultimately, subjective. Unless fees are vastly and demonstrably inflated, there isn’t a lot the Premier League can do.
“Nothing Villa have done so far falls into that category.
“As I’ve seen finance expert Stefan Borson explain, the Premier League warning its clubs that the deals will be scrutinised is essentially an admission that there is nothing that they can to do to stop it.
“That will only change when there is wholesale change to PSR.
“And given that a bloc of seven clubs can effectively veto any changes under the Premier League’s system, I don’t see that happening any time soon, especially when the opportunity to put issues like this to a vote at the league’s AGM has passed without it being raised.”
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