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Both Chelsea and Aston Villa could be subject to UEFA punishment if their latest £65m transfer deal is agreed, with the Premier League clubs now threatening to breach a 'never-seen-before' rule introduced this year.
There have been five permanent transfers between the two clubs since 2022 and, in each one, the fee has been higher than the player's market value. This summer, the £116m switch of Morgan Rogers from Villa Park to west London has been one of the most high-profile signings in a summer where Chelsea have dominated the net spend charts.
With just a week left of this summer's transfer window, though, rumours are swirling that Xabi Alonso's recruitment team could yet come back in for more of the Villans' best talent, while Villa themselves are also looking at adding more Chelsea players to their squad.
It is being reported that the Blues want to strike a deal for Emiliano Martinez, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, after the dismal performance of current shot-stopper Robert Sanchez in the opening-weekend win over Fulham. However, it is a deal that could see Nicolas Jackson move the other way that would put the clubs at risk of breaching a new rule.
Chelsea & Aston Villa At Risk Of Breaching Little-Known UEFA Rule
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Chelsea selling Nicolas Jackson to Villa could reportedly fall foul of a newly-introduced UEFA rule, according to the Daily Express. The Senegalese international is thought to be the subject of considerable interest from Unai Emerey's side, who are in the market for a new striker to replace Ollie Watkins ahead of next week's deadline.
Watkins has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi club Al-Hilal and missed Villa's heavy 4-0 defeat to Brighton on the opening weekend of the new season. He has since returned to training and apologised to his teammates, but there is still a high chance that he could leave Villa Park in the coming days.
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Fees correct prior to summer 2026
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They have opened talks over a potential club-record £65million swoop, according to The Telegraph. It's claimed that Villa are ready to meet that asking price, including add-ons, but could face complications by UEFA's new accounting rules, which addresses players moving in opposite directions between the same clubs within 45 days.
New guidelines seek to avoid clubs inflating their bottom lines through what UEFA calls "player exchange transactions", meaning the same two clubs cannot engage in business for more than a certain threshold within a month-and-a-half period.
How Aston Villa Can Bypass The Strict New Ruling
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As per a report from The Athletic, there is a route for Villa to bypass that regulation despite the 45-day minimum limit. It's claimed that signing Jackson may not trigger a breach of the rule as it would not automatically be deemed a "player exchange transaction".
Clubs reportedly have the option to put forward individual cases to UEFA, who will assess whether it is an entirely separate deal. In this case, Villa could argue that they would have pursued Jackson even if they hadn't sold Rogers to Chelsea last month.
Their interest in the striker is long-standing, having initially been linked with a move for his signature in 2022, when he was still at Villarreal. The interest is mutual, with Jackson keen to try get his career back on track under his former manager, Emery.