Newcastle United snatched Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa for £40million last week.
Unai Emery has acknowledged Aston Villa were not pleased to lose Jacob Ramsey to a Premier League rival.
Newcastle United pounced on Villa’s financial woes to sign the midfielder for £40million last week. It was a similar situation to a year ago when the Magpies reluctantly offloaded Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh amid their PSR struggle.
Both clubs boast ambitious ownership models that aim to take on the Premier League elite. However, the constraints of the financial rules have stifled Newcastle and Aston Villa in recent seasons.
Newcastle United and Aston Villa chant
The two sets of supporters voiced their fury at PSR restrictions during the opening game of the season last weekend. Ultimately, the Magpies leveraged the rules in their favour to clinch Ramsey just 24 hours later.
An academy graduate at Villa Park, the 24-year-old is fit and available to face Liverpool on Monday. Newcastle swooped for midfield cover after losing Sean Longstaff to Leeds United and Joe Willock through injury.
Unai Emery hits out
Several high-profile stars like John McGinn and Tyrone Mings bemoaned PSR once Ramsey’s exit was confirmed. Speaking ahead of their clash with Brentford today, Villa boss Emery agreed with that sentiment.
“I agree with the players, with the same message they sent,” he told reporters. “I agree but we have to move on and try to get our best. Of course, they are the same. They are friends and maybe they can feel a little bit sad.
“In football, you have to move on and keep going. They are sending messages in the same direction and I agree. We have to accept the financial rules. We know it and we are trying to get a balance between the rules and our capacity to keep improving and getting better.”
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Eddie Howe on Jacob Ramsey
Eddie Howe admitted Ramsey’s physical frame took him by surprise when facing the media yesterday. He said: "He is bigger than I thought. When you see him on the pitch, you think you know. It was the same with Tino Livramento.
“He says he's 6ft 1in. I say he's 6ft 2in because I need him to challenge more in the air. He'll be available. We've still got training sessions to go before the game, but he's in a good place and has looked really impressive. Really, really good technically, very intelligent, and I think he'll add a lot to the team. He has standout qualities.”
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