Exclusive: PL could investigate Newcastle & Nottingham Forest deal - new details emerge

Odysseas Vlachodimos’s move to Newcastle United is likely to be assessed by the Premier League over whether its value has been inflated, sources have told Football Insider.

Vlachodimos, 30, joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest hours before the 2023/24 accounting deadline on 30 June, while homegrown midfielder Elliot Anderson, 21, made the move in the opposite direction that very same day.

The Athletic reported on 21 July Forest paid £35million to secure Anderson’s signature and Vlachodimos’s move to St James’ Park was worth around £20million.

Both Premier League sides were believed to be close to the profit and sustainability (PSR) limit last season, with a breach likely carrying the penalty of a points deduction.

The top-flight duo are expected to have met the PSR rules provided the fees for their last-gasp sales are approved by the governing body.

But sources have told Football Insider the price of the Vlachodimos transfer does look “inflated” and the Premier League are likely to be “very focused” on the value of the deal if £20million is the correct figure.

Newcastle and Nottingham Forest face battle arguing value of transfer

The Greece international only joined Forest in a £7.7million deal from Portuguese side Benfica last summer.

But after starting just five Premier League games for the club – all of which came between November and December last year – the goalkeeper wasn’t named in any of the matchday squads for the final 15 games of the season.

Sources have told Football Insider it would be difficult for Forest and Newcastle to argue another club would have paid £20million for Vlachodimos if the transfer wasn’t part of a swap deal.

The Athletic reported on 28 June the Premier League had written to all 20 top-flight clubs to remind them of the “good faith” regulations regarding transfers before the accounting deadline.

The governing body reiterated it has the power to order the return of a transfer fee to the buying club if it feels the transaction in question was “not considered to be conducted at arm’s length”.

Forest and Newcastle were among several Premier League sides involved in a flurry of last-ditch sales ahead of the deadline.

Orel Mangala completed his £15million move from the City Ground to Lyon, while Moussa Niakhate also joined the French club in a £27million deal.

Yankuba Minteh, meanwhile, made his £30million move from Newcastle to Brighton and a compensation fee was agreed with Manchester United for sporting director Dan Ashworth to ensure the club fell within the £105million PSR limit over a rolling three-year period.

In other news, Newcastle could now accept bids for attacker.

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