Premier League could set about trying to close 'loophole' almost exploited by Everton and Newcastle - BBC

Yesterday it looked like Everton and Newcastle United were close to agreed a mutually beneficial swap deal for Dominic Calvert Lewin and Yankuba Minteh.

The 'swap' would have seen each player moving clubs in two separate transactions of a similar value which initially sounds pointless, but due to how reporting works for PSR, the incoming deals would be amortised over the length of the player's contract, whereas the money from the sale would come in as one lump sum and hit the bottom line immediately.

That means, for example, if Newcastle sold Minteh for £40million to Everton and they in turn sold us Calvert-Lewin for the same amount, and we gave DCL a four-year contract, that would only be £10million out and £30million in for this reporting year, and with Newcastle needing around £30million to ensure compliance with PSR, we'd have been sorted.

The deadline to find this £30million or so is the end of the day on Sunday so Newcastle must get a move on, which is why, despite talks breaking down yesterday, we expect that there's still a chance the deal may be resurrected.

Sky Sports

One club has spat their dummy out over the 'quasi-swap' deals

However, the BBC have reported that one unnamed club is already throwing their toys out of the pram over these deals saying they "made a mockery of the rules" and that it would be asking the Premier League for its observations, suggesting that they may ask the Premier League to look at closing the loophole.

Aston Villa and Everton have already completed one such move with relatively unknown academy products Tim Iroegbunam and Lewis Dobbin swapping clubs in separate deals between for a reported £9m each.

Even if they do try, the rule change has to be voted through by a two-thirds majority of all the Premier League clubs and with so many flying so close to the wind when it comes to PSR, there should be enough dissention to block the motion from passing as only seven clubs would need to vote against it. Newcastle, Everton and Aston Villa would definitely be opposed given how they're actively looking to exploit the loophole, but Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Wolves are all at risk of points deductions with Manchester United not far behind either. That would be enough to block the motion.

Can somebody please make it make sense

Of course, the easiest thing to do, would be to just change the PSR rules entirely, or even do away with them altogether.

It's easy for us as Newcastle fans to opt for the latter because the potential that would unlock for us is huge, but there are some good intentions behind PSR, they're just poorly implemented and buried under an avalanche of bad ideas.

Aston Villa moved to try and get the £105million three-year loss limit increased in line with inflation as it has been at that same level for 10 years, but that was overruled in favour of trialling new rules. However, those rules haven't started yet so clubs are left scrambling to comply with rules that will soon be obsolete anyway.

If that makes sense to you, then please write it down in crayon and post it to us as PSR Boils Our Piss, PO Box FUPL, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 ELSESICKOFTHIS. Thanks.