Newcastle rivals' £74.5m exchange highlights FFP reward that encouraged Chelsea and Aston Villa

The Premier League will monitor deals involving Newcastle United's rivals to ensure they are of 'utmost good faith'.

Aston Villa signed Lewis Dobbin from Everton just 24 hours after midfielder Tim Iroegbunam moved in the opposite direction for a similar a fee of around £9m. Another highly-rated Villa academy graduate, Omari Kellyman, is close to completing a £19m move to Chelsea, who are set to let Ian Maatsen join Villa for £37.5m.

Such mutually beneficial deals will bank these clubs pure profit before Sunday, which is the cut-off point for the financial year and the current PSR cycle, while the buying club can spread the transfer fee over five years given that the new arrivals will all be handed long-term deals. These moves once again highlight the quirk of the Premier League's financial rules, which effectively rewards clubs for selling academy products, even at the 11th hour.

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It is important to stress there has been no accusation of wrongdoing. Chelsea, for instance, can rightly point out that Maatsen is a senior Dutch international who was playing in a Champions League final for Borussia Dortmund just a few weeks ago. When it comes to Kellyman, who has made just two top-flight appearances, Villa can reference how Manchester City made more than £40m from Southampton from the sale of academy products who had never even played in the Premier League two years ago.

However, that being said, the flurry of transfers between Everton, Chelsea and Aston Villa, which will total around £74.5m, has not gone unnoticed by top-flight executives. Rule B15 of the Premier League rulebook states that in all matters and transactions relating to the league, each club, official and director 'shall behave towards each other club, official, director and the league with the utmost good faith'.

"For the avoidance of doubt and by way of example only, it shall be a breach of the duties under this rule to act dishonestly towards the league or another club; or engage in conduct that is intended to circumvent these rules or obstruct the board’s investigation of compliance with them," it reads.

Newcastle could sell a youngster of their own in Yankuba Minteh this week if the Magpies' asking price is met, but it won't be to Everton.