West Ham United may be able to exploit a financial fair play loophole to sign England star Raheem Sterling from Chelsea at a bargain price. According to transfer expert Graeme Bailey, Chelsea have contacted West Ham about Sterling, who earns around £325,000 per week. Chelsea are desperate to offload his wages to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
West Ham are in a comfortable position regarding FFP, having broken even over the past three seasons, with an allowable loss limit of £105m. This gives them ample room for maneuver in the transfer market. In contrast, Chelsea have posted huge losses in recent years due to their scattergun approach to recruitment and commercial missteps.
The West London club are one of six teams that need to sell players before June 30 to meet the PSR threshold. West Ham could use this to their advantage in negotiations, securing a cut-price deal for Sterling. The 29-year-old has 82 international caps and would be a significant signing for the Hammers.New manager Julen Lopetegui plans to sign eight players this summer, and the potential addition of Sterling would be a major coup.
West Ham’s comfortable FFP position and Chelsea’s desperation to offload wages could lead to a bargain deal for the England star.The situation highlights the complexities of financial fair play and the opportunities it can present for clubs like West Ham. By exploiting this loophole, the Hammers may be able to sign a world-class player at a fraction of his true value. This could be a shrewd move by West Ham, taking advantage of Chelsea’s financial struggles to strengthen their own squad.