Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey is set to join Newcastle United for £39million.placeholder image
Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey is set to join Newcastle United for £39million. | Getty Images
Newcastle United are set to finalise the signing of Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener at Villa Park (12:30pm kick-off).
Newcastle and Villa have agreed a £39million deal for the 24-year-old midfielder, who has travelled to Tyneside this week for his medical.
The Magpies have admired Ramsey since early 2024 but Villa have not been willing sellers of their academy graduate until this summer with PSR constraints understood to be a reason why the West Midlands club’s stance has softened.
Newcastle can sympathise with the situation having reluctantly sold Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest for £35million last summer. United also sold former academy player Sean Longstaff to Leeds United last month in a deal worth up to £15million.
With Longstaff into the final 12 months of his contract at St James’ Park, Newcastle felt the need to make a ‘pure profit’ sale opposed to losing the player for nothing at the end of the season - such are the pressures of PSR.
But losing two midfielders from the first-team squad without bringing a replacement has seen Newcastle make a move in the transfer market this summer. Ramsey will give head coach Eddie Howe another midfield option as a player capable of playing in a central role or out wide.
Will Jacob Ramsey be available to play against Aston Villa for Newcastle United
Ramsey is set to leave Villa to join Newcastle but, in theory, could make an immediate return to Villa Park for Newcastle’s Premier League opener.
But the midfielder is unlikely to be involved in the match. Premier League rules will block Ramsey from featuring for Newcastle against his soon-to-be former club this weekend unless he is registered before noon on Friday, August 15.
Rule U.23. in the Premier League Handbook states: “Subject to the provisions of Rule V.1, the deadline for receipt by the Board of all duly completed documents required by these Rules to effect the registration of a Player shall be 12 noon on the last Working Day before the date of the first League Match in which the Club making the application intends him to play, save that the international transfer certificate and evidence of eligibility to take up employment in the United Kingdom (in both cases if applicable) may be provided thereafter (but must be provided before the Player is eligible to play for a Club in a League Match)."
As such, Newcastle would have to act quickly in order to have Ramsey available to play on Saturday. The imminent transfer also rules Ramsey out of playing for Aston Villa.
Even if he was registered as a Newcastle player in time, he realistically would have only made the bench.
Summer signings Anthony Elanga, Aaron Ramsdale and Malick Thiaw are set to make the trip to Villa Park as part of the matchday squad.
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Newcastle United set to strengthen ahead of Liverpool
It’s set to be a different situation for Newcastle’s first home match of the season against Liverpool on August 25. Ramsey is expected to be available to feature in that match and could make his debut.
The Magpies are also hopeful of completing the signing of forward Yoane Wissa from Brentford in the coming days. While the deal won’t be done in time to face Villa, the DR Congo international could be in contention to face Liverpool.
A player who isn’t expected to be involved against The Reds is Alexander Isak, who has been on strike at Newcastle in a bid to force through a transfer to Arne Slot’s side. It’s a situation that has dominated the summer transfer narrative and is expected to drag on until the end of the window.
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