Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris
(Credit: Getty/Imago)
Keith Hackett
Mon 30 June 2025 18:43, UK
Keith Hackett has hit out at PSR guidelines after Aston Villa reportedly decided to sell their women’s team to avoid a Premier League points deduction.
Aston Villa were close to exceeding the allowed amount of losses for the 2024/25 period, which ends at 11:59pm on 30 June.
However, it’s now being widely reported that Aston Villa Women are being sold to V Sports, the holding company that owns Aston Villa Football Club, for a hefty sum that will balance the books.
Nassef Sawiris, Wes Edens
Aston Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
Aston Villa repeat Chelsea’s trick to avoid Premier League punishment
Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens (NSWE), who co-own V Sports, have essentially sold the women’s team to themselves for £55million so that they do not breach any rules and suffer a points deduction like Everton and Nottingham Forest have in recent years.
Chelsea sold their women’s team to themselves last year for £200million, allowing them to continue spending ludicrous sums of money on transfer fees and player wages.
Premier League clubs had the chance to vote against closing the loophole exploited by Chelsea earlier this month. However, clubs voted against amending the controversial rule that allows assets – such as women’s teams – being sold to related companies.
Nassef Sawiris
Sawiris calls a lot of the shots at Aston Villa. (Credit: Imago)
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Keith Hackett fumes at PSR rules
Former Premier League and FIFA-listed referee Hackett is furious with the move and now believes PSR needs an overhaul to stop clubs from doing what Aston Villa and Chelsea have done.
“This clearly demonstrates that the rules on PSR appear to be very poorly written,” Hackett told Villa News.
“I guess that the remainder of the clubs will follow.
“Women’s football at the elite level appears to be a cost to clubs rather than an income stream where the women’s teams can at least break even.”
Aston Villa Women finished sixth in the Women’s Super League last season while Chelsea Women won the title for a sixth year in a row.
It’s a shame to see women’s teams become commodities used by football clubs to simply allow themselves to overspend on talent for the men’s team. However, for a team like Villa, it seems like there’s no option than to do things like that if they’re going to catch up to the so-called Big Six.
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