Newcastle United have struggled with PSR in the past and have been forced to sell promising young stars, while other Premier League clubs like Chelsea continue to find loopholes.
The pre-PSR deadline in June 2024 was a very distressing time for many Newcastle United fans as a points deduction loomed if they did not get themselves out of a financial black hole believed to be around £60m.
In the end, the club was forced to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Premier League rivals. The pair were set to be a big part of Newcastle’s first-team squad, but have since made a name for themselves at Nottingham Forest and Brighton, respectively.
It is a different story this season, with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe ready to welcome new players to the club after three transfer windows without a single addition for the starting XI. Newcastle’s owners, PIF, are on board with the plans and have already given assurances that the money is there for them.
PSR is not as much of a worry for Newcastle this season, but other clubs are set to struggle before the deadline on Monday, with Aston Villa looking to sell their women’s team to recoup their losses.
In the meantime, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has unearthed new figures that show Chelsea have been going to some wild extremes to keep themselves clear of PSR trouble.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca lifts the UEFA Conference League trophy.
Photo by Alexandra Fechete/MB Media/Getty Images
Chelsea sold assets to themselves while Newcastle United experienced PSR struggles
The PSR problems from 2024 caused Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi to leave Newcastle in the fallout of it all, with some inside the club pointing the finger at them for the club’s excessive spending in the transfer market.
However, Chelsea were going to serious lengths to ensure they were able to comply with PSR and avoid a points deduction.
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On X, it was revealed by Maguire that Chelsea’s accounts revealed that Chelsea actually ended up making a profit of £128m after selling their women’s team to thelselves.
Despite that, BlueCo 22, which now owns the men’s team, women’s team and Strasbourg, made a loss of £430m in the same period. Maguire goes on to claim that while Chelsea have not broken any rules, they have taken many loopholes to their advantage to keep themselves away from punishment.
To help move a deal for Anderson along, Newcastle signed Odysseas Vlachodimos from Nottingham Forest for £20m. The goalkeeper has not played a single Premier League game for the Magpies, and they are forced to keep him to remain above board with PSR. In the meantime, other clubs are exploiting loopholes to keep clear of any punishment.
Newcastle United have suffered with the Premier League’s APT rules since 2021
When Newcastle’s change of ownership was confirmed in 2021, many believed that it would be the start of a mass spending spree, with big names joining the club. However, it has been far from that, with Newcastle taking a more reserved approach to spending.
However, things could have been different had it not been for Premier League clubs voting to introduce a rule on associated party transactions, effectively limiting what clubs can earn from sponsorship deals.
⚫️ Financial results
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⚪️ January transfer window
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Former Newcastle owner Staveley was livid with the APT rules, and blasted the Premier League clubs that voted for its introduction.
Earlier in 2025, the Premier League lost a court case with Manchester City over the APT rules, with some believing that Newcastle could also have a case for a loss of earnings due to sponsorship deals falling through.
Nothing has been said about the rules since, but it could help the Magpies out in the long term.