- Clubs are doing plenty of deals on football’s ‘unofficial deadline day’
- They are desperate to make sure they stay on the right side of PSR rules
We may well be midway through Euro 2024, but there is plenty going on outside of Germany, especially when it comes to transfer deals.
June 30 marks the end of the financial year for top flight clubs and that means they need their accounts in order to satisfy the Premier League‘s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules.
Everton and Nottingham Forest were both charged with breaking these rules last season, leading to the clubs being deducted eight and four points, respectively.
With this in mind, teams are having to be creative with their business to make sure the numbers all add up, and that is why we are seeing some eye-catching deals being agreed on what can now be considered the Premier League’s ‘unofficial deadline day’.
Not for the first time in the last two years since Todd Boehly took over the club, Chelsea have taken centre stage in the transfer market.
The Blues have agreed a £30m deal with Leicester for Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and the midfielder is now set to be reunited with his former manager Enzo Maresca.
It is understood that Leicester want Chelsea’s 18-year-old midfielder Michael Golding as a potential replacement for Dewsbury-Hall.
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Chelsea sold young defender Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa earlier this week for £37.5m and they have taken no time at all in spending their money on homegrown talent.
Teenager Omari Kellyman moved in the opposite direction on Saturday in a separate deal, with clubs being willing to sell their homegrown talent as it brings in pure profit, and he could soon be joined at Stamford Bridge by Dewsbury-Hall.
Villa have been doing business with Chelsea, and they have also been negotiating with other clubs to keep on top of their finances, despite earning a place in next season’s Champions League.
It always appeared likely that they would need to sell one of their key players this summer to keep on the right side of PSR, and Douglas Luiz is now finalising his £42m move to Italian giants Juventus.
A fee in that region is also likely to be necessary to take versatile youngster Archie Gray away from Leeds United, and Tottenham may be moving into pole position to land his signature.
Leeds need to offload players after failing to secure promotion back to the Premier League, and Gray is a player in high demand.
He looked to be on his way to Brentford when the west London club stole a march on their rivals on Saturday, but Leeds have rejected a bid from the Bees.
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Tottenham are now eyeing a £40m deal as Ange Postecoglou looks to strengthen his squad after they fell away in the final weeks of last season.
They still need to agree a deal with Leeds, but may be in a strong bargaining position due to Leeds not wanting to miss Sunday’s deadline and risk being punished, despite backlash from fans who want to keep the teenage star.
Meanwhile, there can’t have been many busier weeks at Newcastle, with the club desperate to satisfy PSR rules.
Heading into the final week before the deadline, they knew they needed to raise funds, and Mail Sport exclusively revealed that they were willing to sell Anthony Gordon to Liverpool.
However, talks broke down earlier this week due to Newcastle wanting Jarell Quansah included in the deal.
Chelsea have also shown interest in Alexander Isak, but with the Magpies keen to keep their star striker, they have moved to offload two of their other players instead.
They agreed a £33m fee with Brighton for Yankuba Minteh on Saturday after his impressive loan spell at Feyenoord last season, and he looks set to move to the Amex Stadium after failing to make a single appearance for Newcastle.
Homegrown star Elliot Anderson also looks likely to move to Nottingham Forest for £35m. A medical has been booked for the midfielder ahead of his proposed move to the east Midlands, while Forest goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos could join Newcastle as part of the deal.