Chelsea set for FFP windfall from Premier League rival and drop Conor Gallagher transfer hint

Chelsea have been given a major boost to their hopes of complying with Financial Fair Play rules and the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations. The Blues have been heavily scrutinised for their spending decisions since a consortium of investors led by Todd Boehly and private equity group called Clearlake Capital took the reins in May 2022.

In two years, Chelsea have forked out almost £1bn on signings while generating just under £400m in player sales. With the west Londoners eager to remain compliant with the rules, the club have – somewhat – placed a greater emphasis on selling Cobham graduates, such as Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Chelsea raked in almost £100m for the duo and, as homegrown players, their fees were penciled into the books as pure profit – not to mention the profit made on other sales, like Billy Gilmour and Ethan Ampadu. Nevertheless, due to FFP and PSRs, selling of academy produce has become heavily incentivised – which explains why the Blues could cash in on Ian Maatsen this summer.

Despite joining Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in 2018, the Premier League regard the defender as 'homegrown'. A homegrown player is classified as someone who has featured for an FA-affiliated club for at least three years before turning 21.

Eight years after arriving in England as a 16-year-old, the Blues now look set to cash in. According to The Athletic, Aston Villa have agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Maatsen, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund.

The report states that the release clause in his contract was only available to to German club – and that's now expired – so the West Midlands side and the Blues have compromised on a fee, which football.london understands is just under £40m.

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The Athletic add that personal terms are also in place for Maatsen to sign a six-year contract at Villa Park. It's said that Unai Emery is a huge admirer of the 22-year-old and wants to recruit him ahead of next season.

Maatsen's departure could determine whether or not Chelsea keep Villa target Conor Gallagher, who currently faces an uncertain future with his contract at Stamford Bridge expiring next year. In March, the west Londoners issued an official statement on their annual financial results.

"For the first time in the group’s history, the turnover figure has broken the £500million barrier, growing from £481.3million the previous year to £512.5million for 2022/23," a spokesperson wrote. "Following the acquisition of the club on 30 May 2022 by a consortium led by Todd Boehly and affiliates of Clearlake Capital Group L.P., 2022/23 was the first full season completed under the new ownership.

"The rise in turnover was driven by increased matchday and commercial revenue, due in part to the club being able to operate without the Government restrictions under which it was operating in the previous year.

"The growth in turnover was also driven by the women’s team winning the Women’s Super League and the Women’s FA Cup and reaching the final of the Women’s League Cup. These increases were offset by decreased broadcasting revenue, a consequence of the men’s team finishing 12th place in the Premier League and exiting both the FA and League Cups at the 3rd round.

"Commercial revenue increased to £210.1million, driven by strong sales of non-match day activities including stadium tours, which saw sales restricted for part of the prior year due to Government restrictions. In addition, the club benefited from a net increase in sponsorship revenue from new and existing partner renewals.

"The higher revenue was partially offset by increased operating expenses, including matchday and non-matchday costs as well as increased staff costs. The group generated profits on disposal of player registrations and fixed assets of £142.2m, which helped offset the increased operational costs seen in the year.

"Losses before taxation reduced from £121.4m the previous year to £90.1m for 2022/23. Despite the loss in the year and the continued fallout from the sanctions placed on the club in the prior year, the Club continues to comply with UEFA and Premier League financial regulations."