The BIZARRE summer transfer that makes a MOCKERY of Premier League rules

Suraj Radia

10 Oct 2024 13:00 CDT
4 min read

The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules led to some unexpected and peculiar transfer dealings this summer but one deal in particular has proven to be one of the most bizarre situations of the entire window.

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The summer ended up effectively being split into two portions as teams scrambled to avoid any PSR violations at the end of June which could have led to points deductions such as the ones faced by Everton and Nottingham Forest last season.

One of the teams under threat was Newcastle and the situation became so dire at St James’ Park that the club were close to selling talismanic winger Anthony Gordon to Liverpool to ensure they were not in violation of the PSR limits.

The transfer eventually collapsed after Newcastle were able to raise the money needed through the €35 million sale of wonderkid Yankuba Minteh to Brighton and reluctantly allowing homegrown talent Elliot Anderson to join Nottingham Forest for €41.2m.

Anderson’s transfer, in particular, proved a shock, not just due to the loss of the club’s brightest youngster to a rival but also because the deal involved Forest backup keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos moving to Newcastle for €23.6m.

The 30-year-old’s transfer was conditional to Anderson’s fee in order for Newcastle to balance their books but, a few months on, Vlachodimos’ signing has already been described as ‘clearly a mistake’ as he sits on the fringes of the first team in a costly deal.

© IMAGO - Odysseas Vlachodimos joined Newcastle in the summer.

Vlachodimos signing proves Premier League PSR rules are not fit for purpose

Vlachodimos only joined Forest in 2023 for €4.9m and made just five Premier League appearances before being dropped, making the incredible profit generated even more inexplicable.

The deal, of course, was solely sanctioned as it was the only way for Newcastle to avoid any PSR punishments before the deadline, while also not selling a key player in Gordon.

However, the signing left Newcastle with five senior goalkeepers in their squad, while Vlachodimos was never a player the club had considered bringing in and his sole substitute appearance in the Carabao Cup indicates he is still not trusted by Howe.

Current ETV

Odysseas Vlachodimos

Newcastle Utd.

Odysseas Vlachodimos

Newcastle Utd.

ETV Range

€12.3M - €20.5M

The PSR situation was reportedly a large part of the reason director Amanda Staveley left Newcastle in July, with the club openly admitting lessons needed to be learned from the debacle.

But Greece’s number one shotstopper now finds himself, at best, as Newcastle’s third-choice despite being the most expensive goalkeeper in the club’s history and the most costly new face at St James’ Park this summer.

With the Premier League already under fire for rules around inflated sponsorship deals, the manipulated transfer fees for players such as Vlachodimos should undoubtedly be investigated and used as an example as to why current PSR rules are not fit for purpose moving forward.