UEFA 'fires warning to Chelsea and Aston Villa over inflated player swap deals' after Premier League duo breached Financial Fair Play rules
UEFA are believed to have taken issue with at least one previous deal, according to The Times.
In recent years Premier League clubs have paid sizeable fees to each other in instances where players have moved in each direction.
And there have been protests from rivals that this has been done with the aim of artificially increasing transfer income in order to comply with Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
Earlier this month it was revealed that UEFA had stepped in to knock down the value of at least one deal that involved the two clubs.
The Blues have been hit with a €31million (£26.8m) fine for breaching UEFA's financial rules.
That figure could potentially rise to a record-breaking €91m (£78.5m) if they fail to comply within the next four years amid the threat of further sanctions hanging over them.
Aston Villa were also fined €11m (£9.5m), which could rise to €26 million (£22.4m).
UEFA stated at the time that they had looked at 'transactions involving the exchange of players' and that those 'required specific adjustments to the club's financial result'.
The Times add that that UEFA will continue to scrutinise all such swap deals but Chelsea and Villa will be particularly under the microscope following their settlements.
Omari Kellyman joined Chelsea from Villa for £19m last summer but is yet to make an appearance for the club.
Ian Maatsen, a product of the Chelsea academy, went the other way for £37.5m and went on to play 29 times for the club in the top flight last term.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Auto Express
9 minutes ago
- Auto Express
The Electric Car Grant has shot the UK car industry in the foot
Talk about a great way to ruin good news. With electric car take-up growing far more slowly than required to hit the Government's ZEV mandate targets, the car industry has been crying out for incentives to help boost interest in what is still very much new tech to most drivers. Advertisement - Article continues below So it's impressive to do what a whole sector has been calling for but still shoot yourself in the foot with a scheme so complicated that no-one understands how it's going to work, or which cars will be eligible, days after it's announced. It's a shambles, or as one senior UK car industry exec put it to me last week, a 'flipping nightmare'. I also hear that the E-mail address that manufacturers need to use to register their cars wasn't even working when the announcement of the scheme went live. Then there's the issue of cars just over the £37,000 threshold, which is oddly close to, yet not the same as the Government's VED expensive-car cut-off of £40k. Brands will be frantically recalculating to see how many of the 15 or so cars within £3,000 of the £37k line could be reduced in price to become eligible. That's if they jump through the required eco hoops to make the cut for £3,750 or £1,500 grants. Renault's Scenic dropped by £200 within 48 hours of the announcement to be a fiver under the threshold. Provided Renault ticks those secret eco boxes. We've ended up with a scheme seemingly designed with what some might see as the noble aim of helping European brands to compete with Chinese rivals under the guise of environmental credentials. It seems – although any level of actual detail or evidence of a full plan from the Department for Transport would be helpful – that the environmental aspect of the grant is designed to increase transparency and encourage more local production. But because the policy apparently wasn't fully formed when it was announced, we don't really know. That causes a ripple through the market. EV purchases dived through the floor in the days following the announcement as buyers wait, potentially for weeks, to see if their prospective new EV gets a whopping discount. So the Government's move to boost EV sales could have harpooned them in the short term. Which is careless. Buy a car with Auto Express. Our nationwide dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from... Find a car with the experts Range Rover's secret mid-size EV: Inside its £500m factory Range Rover's secret mid-size EV: Inside its £500m factory We take an exclusive look inside JLR's revamped Liverpool site as the brand gears up for EV production Car Deal of the Day: The Audi A3 Saloon may be posh but not at this price Car Deal of the Day: The Audi A3 Saloon may be posh but not at this price It's posh, well appointed, and refined to drive – the Audi A3 Saloon is our Deal of the Day for July 18 Chinese cars will take over as Britain's best sellers Chinese cars will take over as Britain's best sellers With a dramatic rise in sales, Mike Rutherford thinks it's only a matter of time before Chinese cars outsell all other countries in the UK
Auto Express
9 minutes ago
- Auto Express
Car Deal of the Day: this mid-size French SUV is a steal at £188 per month
Comfortable to drive; hybrid power Spacious interior; well equipped Just £188.50 a month Almost overnight, Renault has gone from having hardly any SUVs in its line-up to offering one of broadest range of high-riders in the business. The Renault Symbioz is the newest of the lot and offers pretty much everything a family buyer could want. One of those requirements is value for money. This mid-size SUV is one of the cheapest of the lot right now, even undercutting such family favourites as the Nissan Qashqai. Advertisement - Article continues below Through the Auto Express Find a Car service, is offering the Symbioz for just £188.50 a month, giving you a lot of bang for your buck. It's a two-year deal that requires a £2,611.94 initial payment, while mileage is capped at 5,000 miles a year. Nudging this up to a more flexible 8,000 a year only costs £14.46 extra a month. This deal gets you a Symbioz in Techno trim. It may be the entry-level model, but it's packed with equipment. The standard list of features includes 18-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch digital driver's display and a 10.4-inch touchscreen with an excellent Google operating system. Powering this Symbioz is a full-hybrid system, comprising a 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 1.2kWh battery. It blends performance and frugality very well, giving a smooth and refined driving experience, plus wallet-pleasing fuel economy of more than 61mpg. The Symbioz isn't a thrilling car to drive, but nor should it be. It offers the type of driving experience that's perfectly in-step with its customers' needs: safe, composed and comfortable driving manners. The interior is a nice place to be, too. It's nicely trimmed and well put together, and it's pretty practical. The rear bench slides forwards, opening up more space in the boot – an impressive 624 litres to be precise. The Car Deal of the Day selections we make are taken from our own Auto Express Find A Car deals service, which includes the best current offers from car dealers and leasing companies around the UK. Terms and conditions apply, while prices and offers are subject to change and limited availability. If this deal expires, you can find more top Renault Symbioz leasing offers from leading providers on our Renault Symbioz page. Check out the Renault Symbioz deal or take a look at our previous Car Deal of the Day selection here…
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Liam Dawson to make England Test return in place of injured Shoaib Bashir
Liam Dawson will make his first Test appearance in eight years in place of the injured Shoaib Bashir as England look to seal a series win over India at Emirates Old Trafford. The 35-year-old played the last of his three Tests in July 2017, but he has been a star performer on the County Championship circuit with Hampshire and amassed 49 wickets in 2023 and a further 53 in 2024. He had drifted out of England's red and white-ball contention in recent years, but Bashir breaking a finger on his non-bowling hand in the 22-run win at Lord's last week opened the door for Dawson. England have now confirmed their XI, as is now customary, two days out from the fourth Test and Dawson coming in for Bashir is the only change, with Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse retained. As well as being a shrewd left-arm spinner, Dawson, who returned to England's T20 side in their win over the West Indies last month, has 18 first-class hundreds and is a renowned as a fine fielder. Harry Brook said: '(Dawson) is a wily, old fox, very experienced and a very skilful cricketer. He's played everywhere, played against everyone so hopefully he can have an amazing performance this week. 'He's willing to always fight for the team, he's very competitive and it's good to have him here.'
