Why PSR transfer accusations about Chelsea and Aston Villa are absurd amid £19m Omari Kellyman move

Aston Villa are one of several clubs who have come under scrutiny for their early summer dealings which, despite following Premier League rules, are being questioned by rivals.

Some are believed to be sceptical about certain deals being negotiated ahead of June 30 as clubs try to generate book profits for Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) compliance. Those under the microscope are thought to be the likes of Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Everton. All four are known to be under pressure to raise money before the end of the month, and while there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the clubs involved, it won't take long to dispel any doubts around the legitimacy of Villa's moves.

The Premier League look at all transactions clubs make, from player sales to commercial deals, for fair market value. And some clubs believe that sales of young players between certain teams are driven to generate profits, while fans of rival teams are even accusing Villa of selling players for inflated fees.

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The current rules are in place so clubs do not lose more than £105 million over a three-year period. However, while there's no doubt that those rules incentivise player sales - especially those who are homegrown - BirminghamLive understands Douglas Luiz's €50m move to Juventus is the deal which puts Villa in the clear regarding PSR.

So any thoughts that they are simply flogging the likes of Tim Iroegbunam and Omari Kellyman to avoid a possible points deduction for breaking rules are wide of the mark.

And with the club's fears over PSR thus alleviated, any other transfer activity will simply be based on footballing requirements rather than financial, even though selling an academy player for pure profit, such as Kellyman, is obviously going to bolster any balance sheet.

Villa’s long-term strategy, or a huge part of it, is to sign players they can improve and potentially sell-on when the time is right. That, of course, will always allow them to stay one step ahead when it comes to PSR issues.

It's worth noting that this is Chelsea's strategy too. They have spent a huge amount of money recruiting young players from across the globe since Todd Boehly took control at Stamford Bridge.

When Villa went to sign Ian Maatsen, the left-back named in last season's Champions League team of the season, Chelsea asked to buy Villa's best academy product. With Villa not under pressure to sell Kellyman to avoid a PSR breach this summer, the Blues were willing to pay a premium for the youngster.

Chelsea's model is to recruit younger players so they can develop them, rather than paying more than double once they have enjoyed breakthrough seasons in senior football. Kellyman is without question the brightest talent to emerge from Villa’s academy, which has produced or developed the likes of Jack Grealish, Carney Chukwuemeka, Jacob Ramsey, Jaden Philogene and Cameron Archer in recent years.

Under Emery, Morgan Rogers has improved immeasurably in a short period of time, going from the Championship to the Champions League football in the space of a few months. There's no reason why Kellyman wouldn't have enjoyed a meteoric rise himself over the next 18 months having been around first-team training for a while.

He also impressed in pre-season last summer over in the States. He hit the post in the 3-3 draw with Newcastle United and didn't look out of place against more senior pros.

Kellyman is also heading to Chelsea for less than what Chukwuemeka was sold to Chelsea for two years ago. There were no quibbles then. Chukwuemeka, who was also 18 years old at the time, didn't want to sign a new deal after entering the final year of his contract.

There should be no shock at the price Chelsea - a club with a defined transfer policy - wanted to sign Kellyman for. The west London club have already splashed a huge fee on Brazilian 18-year-old Estevao Willian in a deal which could be worth £52m. West Ham also bought from Palmerias this summer, signing another 18-year-old Luis Guilherme for £25.5m.

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