Chelsea will owe Huddersfield Town if they solve P&S issues with PSG sale: View | OneFootball

Chelsea find themselves with a delicate financial outlook following intense spending over the past couple of years under new ownership, and they will be thankful that Huddersfield Town helped to develop one of their academy graduates who may help to alleviate the pressure.

Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took control at Stamford Bridge back in 2022, the club has spent more than £1billion on player transfers and their subsequent underperformance in the league has left them in a tricky spot viewed against the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

A common theme among clubs under the new rules is to sell on some of their high-value academy talent as any fee gained for them goes down as 'pure profit' in accounting terms, giving clubs greater allowances under PSR.

With that, the Blues must be grateful for the role the Terriers played in developing Cobham product Levi Colwill and adding to his value, as he could be one of the next talents sold to balance the books.

Colwill's temporary switch to the John Smith's Stadium was undoubtedly the catalyst for his progression, coming as his first venture into senior football outside of Chelsea's academy system.

He was not there to just make up the numbers either, appearing 29 times in the Championship, 26 as part of the starting XI, and even chipping in with two goals and an assist from centre-back.

His stint there put him on the map and alerted other teams to his talent, as stepping away from youth football and into the senior game is always one of the toughest leaps, and he managed it brilliantly.

What he had shown through the 2021/22 season at Huddersfield was enough to convince Brighton & Hove Albion that he could do a job for them the following campaign, so along came his second loan.

Injury problems meant that he was not as instrumental at the Amex, but he still performed to a high enough level to provoke numerous bids from the Seagulls.

That move was not to be, however, and Colwill remained at Stamford Bridge, managing to work his way into the first team throughout this campaign.

Chelsea may be forced to sell to satisfy PSR

The Blues' heavy spending over the past couple of years has left them at a real risk of breaching PSR rules unless they can make up the shortfall in their accounts.

If they fell foul of the rules, points deductions of the sort given to Everton and Nottingham Forest could be in store, with some suggestion that the level of spending may make for a more severe punishment.

Despite the inviting prospect of 'pure profit' included in the sale of Colwill, the London club are adamant they do not want to sell the young defender.

However, faced with the very realistic choice of selling the player or facing a heavy points penalty, it may transpire that Chelsea's options become limited, forcing them into a sale.

PSG could be Chelsea's route and it's all thanks to Huddersfield

Paris Saint-Germain are no strangers to splashing the cash themselves and have been linked with a move for Colwill in 2025 as part of their transfer strategy, betting on the fact that Chelsea will still be in the position of needing to sell their youngsters.

Having signed a long deal just last year that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2029, with the option for an additional year, Chelsea will be under no contractual pressure to sell, but may be forced to on an accounting basis. Football website Transfermarkt currently estimates Colwill to be worth around £42.9million, a significant sum that may prove too useful when it is time to submit PSR figures.

If Chelsea are forced to accept PSG's advances as an escape route for PSR penalties, then a good deal of gratitude to Huddersfield will be in order. Players sometimes struggle to adapt to senior football and their first experience can define their career, both positively and negatively.

The Terriers played that key role in Colwill's early career, and had significant input into his development. It may be about to pay dividends for Chelsea, rescuing them from a financial hole that might have swallowed them were it not for the lifeline built at the John Smith's Stadium.