Newcastle complete £43m transfer after taking advantage of Aston Villa issues

Newcastle United have sealed the signing of Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey in a £43million deal. Murphy, 24, leaves Villa Park to join the Magpies in a big-money deal that helps Villa meet Profit and Sustainability Rules.

The current campaign is Villa’s third successive in European competition, and UEFA rules mean they can only record losses of £60million - far less than the Premier League's guidelines of £105million. They have sold Ramsey to meet that figure, while also bringing down the percentage of revenue they spend on player wages; that number was 91 percent at the start of summer, and needs to get down to below 70 percent.

When the two clubs met in their Premier League opener on Saturday, fans of both united in chanting against the Premier League and football’s financial regulations, Newcastle having been forced to sell young stars Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh 12 months ago.

But now Eddie Howe’s men have more leeway and have taken full advantage of Villa’s situation, paying Villa a guaranteed £39million for Ramsey - who made 167 appearances in all competitions for the Villans, scoring 17 times - with a further £4m in potential add-ons.

“I’m delighted to be here,” said Ramsey. “It’s been a mad two or three days, but I’m really happy to be here and I can ‘t wait to get started.

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“This is a big move for me, but as soon as I knew the gaffer was interested and really Iiked me, it didn’t take much time to decide. His track record of developing players, especially those who have gone on to become internationals here, speaks for itself.

“It was always a tough game playing for Villa against Newcastle - the team is full of energy, so athletic and the fans are so passionate. I feel my game will suit that and I’m excited to be on the other end of it now.”

Toon boss Eddie Howe declared: “Jacob is another fantastic addition to our squad. His qualities will bring us something different on the pitch and he fits the profile of being young and hungry to develop, but also with a wealth of Premier League football under his belt.

“Jacob offers versatility and his directness in attack has proven to be a real threat at this level in recent seasons.

"He performed very well in the Champions League last season too and we believe he’ll be a major asset for us.”

Ramsey's departure is not a move that Villa boss Unai Emery wanted to happen, but with club chiefs having let it be known that PSR measures had to be adhered to, it was decided cashing in on Ramsey was one of their best options, particularly as they continue looking to bring in more players before the close of the summer window.

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