Why Chelsea, Aston Villa, Everton, Leicester City Are Dealing Before Deadline

• Chelsea, Aston Villa and Everton have been involved in questionable transfer rumours and dealings for the last couple of days
• Douglas Luiz’s expected move to Juventus, with Aston Villa getting two youngsters from the Italian club, has raised eyebrows
• As Sports Brief discusses, some Premier League clubs are rushing to raise extra cash to ensure they meet financial rules

When the news first broke out that Aston Villa would be selling Douglas Luiz to Juventus and getting Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior in the swap deal, many couldn’t understand the move.

No disrespect to the Juve players, but the general consensus on social media appeared the Old Lady were scamming the Premier League side, given the type of player they are getting in the deal.

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McKennie was eventually dropped from the deal, with BBC Sports reporting that his wage demands had become a huge issue. The American international was replaced by Enzo Barrenechea, who will move to Birmingham alongside Iling-Junior as Luiz moves to Turin.

On the football front, it doesn’t make sense, given that the Brazilian was a key component in what Unai Emery had achieved at the club. Additionally, their return to the Champions League next season means that they need to hold onto their best players – not sell them.

Why Aston Villa are selling Douglas Luiz

However, as Sports Brief has analysed, Aston Villa are among the five Premier League clubs rushing against time to comply with the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). A huge part of these actions involves selling your key players, who could attract a good transfer fee.

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Clubs have until June 30 to balance their books to avoid potential sanctions. The clubs are only allowed to make losses of £105 million spread over three years.

Aston Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Everton, and Leicester City are among the clubs walking a tight-rope as they rush to raise revenue to remain in good standing with the Premier League.

The repercussions of flouting these rules are severe, with Everton and Nottingham Forest serving as examples after they were docked points last season.

Chelsea’s ownership haven’t exactly been teetering on the side of action since acquiring the club two seasons ago. The heavy spending on new players often left one wondering if the PSR rules would catch up with them one day.

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The Blues had to sell two of their hotels before the end of the season to raise revenue. The club has now reportedly agreed on a £37mil deal with Aston Villa for Ian Maatsen. Chelsea would then return the favour by acquiring little-known Omari Kellyman for £19 mil.

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Chelsea’s situation is slightly helped by the fact that last summer’s big moves, like Mason Mount’s and Kai Havertz’s, will be included in this financial year, but keep an eye out for potential high-profile exits like Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah in days to come.

Back to Aston Villa: they have sold Tim Iroegbunam to Everton for £9mil, with Lewis Dobbin moving in the opposite direction for a similar fee. Claret Villains reports that Villa made a loss of approximately £119.6mil as of May 31, 2023.

As for Everton, the club is wary of facing sanctions for a third time. This time, their losses seem manageable; otherwise, they would already have accepted offers for their top stars, Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana.

Are these controversial transfers legal?

Is this ethical? Well, the Premier League has warned these clubs that they might inflate the transfer fees to circumvent the PSR laws. The rules book encourages clubs to act in the utmost good faith during transfers.

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The Times reports that EPL chiefs are monitoring the deals. It is also fair to remember that Aston Villa’s proposal to increase the loss cap to £135 mil was rejected last year.

So for these clubs, it is tick-tock ahead of the Sunday deadline.

Why Chelsea did not sign Michael Olise

Sports Brief had also previously reported on why Chelsea decided against Michael Olise after the Crystal Palace winger reportedly opted for a move to Bayern Munich.

The Blues withdrew from the race for the star after it became apparent that his release clause of around £60 million would be too hefty to balance in their financial books.