West Ham have made it clear they need to be ‘very clever’ with their summer transfer business and Aston Villa could be one of their first victims.
The Hammers are facing a hugely important rebuild against the backdrop of serious PSR difficulties.
But West Ham are not alone – with Aston Villa very much in a worse predicament.
Aston Villa’s ambitious owners have previously threatened to sue the Premier League over PSR.
It was reported earlier this month that Aston Villa must make at least one significant sale before June 30th to ensure they stay in line with Premier League spending rules.
PSR casts shadow over West Ham and Aston Villa
That was before Unai Emery’s side missed out on Champions League qualification – and a £100m pay-day – on the final day of the season.
Graham Potter is plotting to overhaul his ageing Hammers squad.
Six players have already been sent on their way and Michail Antonio could join them.
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West Ham then plan to make around £100m in sales with the likes of their most saleable asset Mohammed Kudus and – if he beats spot-fixing charges – Lucas Paqueta being moved on to the highest bidder.
Potter wants to rebuild the Hammers around young, exciting players.
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
The Englishman is desperate to get more energy, athleticism, pace and power in his side.
After a final day win at Ipswich, Potter said West Ham’s attack simply must improve.
Now West Ham eye their Kudus replacement in a new raid on ‘desperate’ Aston Villa amid PSR pressure.
The Jhon Duran saga between the Irons and Villa dragged on for more than six months.
At one stage last summer Duran looked a dead cert to join West Ham after doing a crossed Hammers gesture during a live social media video as links intensified.
West Ham eye Kudus replacement in new raid on ‘desperate’ Villa
In the end the move did not happen and the Hammers went back in for Duran in January with a £57m bid.
West Ham have since admitted they made that big Duran move with a view to offloading players to pay for it.
Al-Nassr outbid them anyway, paying over £60m for the firebrand Colombian.
Now West Ham are turning their attentions back to Villa Park as they plot replacing Kudus and Paqueta.
Mail Sport claim ‘everything has changed’ for Villa after they failed to make the Champions League.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
The outlet’s Aston Villa expert Tom Collomosse says the club were ‘already wary of profit and sustainability rules trouble’ before they lost out on the mega-millions that would have come with a second successive Champions League campaign.
‘Now the squeeze is even tighter’ says Collomosse, who claims Villa are desperate to clear the decks of players like Philippe Coutinho and Leander Dendoncker, who have never been part of Emery’s plans but are still on the books.
The Midlands club may look to sell as many as eight players according to the report – and one of them is wanted by West Ham.
Aston Villa are said to be considering selling homegrown midfielder Jacob Ramsey as it would represent 100 per cent profit in terms of PSR.
And Collomosse says ‘Ramsey is popular at West Ham’ who are planning for life after Kudus and Paqueta.
Ramsey ‘popular’ with Hammers and Villa need profit for PSR
Hammers fans will be seriously excited by the prospect of Ramsey joining them.
The 23-year-old would transform West Ham’s attack with his powerful running and skill.
After breaking into the Villa team as an 18-year-old, Ramsey has found his game time limited by the likes of Morgan Rogers this season.
Ramsey has only started 19 games, making a further 10 appearances off the bench.
There is an inescapable irony that PSR-hit West Ham are targeting another club struggling with the financial sustainability rules for a signing.
But while West Ham must sell to buy, they are not under pressure to sell before the end of June to avoid a breach of the rules.
That would explain why the Hammers are looking to Ramsey – especially as they intend to offload Kudus and others as soon as possible to pay for signings.
In an update ahead of the transfer window opening on Sunday, June 1, a spokesman for West Ham’s board told Hammers News “We’re now trying to get a few players out so we can start trading.”
Now perhaps we know why as Villa face the reality of having to raise funds urgently.
West Ham getting in there first with an offer for Ramsey may see them get the attacking midfield ace for a decent price if it helps ease Villa’s PSR issue before June 30th.