Birmingham City complete financial deal similar to Aston Villa and Chelsea | OneFootball

Birmingham City have completed a move that could alleviate any possible PSR concerns

Birmingham City have sold their women’s team to Shelby Companies Ltd as part of a restructure of the club.

According to Birmingham Live, the Blues have completed a deal with the holding company owned by Knighthead Capital Management, who own the Championship side.

This is a move that has already been made by the likes of Chelsea and Aston Villa in recent years, in which their club owners completed a transaction with themselves in order to generate revenue.

Birmingham are back in the second division this season following a year of heavy spending in League One, which included a record-breaking deal to sign Jay Stansfield from Fulham for a reported £15 million.

The Midlands outfit have their sights set on earning promotion to the Premier League for the first time since their 2011 relegation.

Birmingham complete women’s team sale amid possible financial rule concerns

Birmingham have sold their women’s team to Knighthead Capital’s holding company, essentially completing a transaction with themselves.

It’s believed that the deal will have no impact on the day-to-day running of the women’s side.

However, the cost of the deal can be registered in the club’s accounts as revenue generated, which could boost their ability to comply with the profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

It is unclear how much they have valued the women’s team, although Chelsea completed a £200 million transaction when they sold their side in 2025.

The Birmingham women’s team currently compete in the second tier of English football, but owners Knighthead Capital have invested into the squad, similarly to their spending on the men’s side.

They are second in the table, and will be competing for promotion to the Women’s Super League this season.

Meanwhile, Chris Davies’ team are 11th in the Championship, and they also have their sights set on promotion, with just two points separating them from the play-offs.

Birmingham are making use of financial loopholes

Chelsea and Aston Villa received a lot of criticism for their decision to sell their women’s teams in this way, but it helped with their compliance of the financial rules and was perfectly within the rules.

Birmingham have now seemingly made the same move, which could prove quite useful in their bid to remain compliant with the rules.

This won’t have a material impact on the women’s or mens’ sides in the immediate-term, but could allow for greater investment into the first team squad in the medium-term.