Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has called on the Premier League to change their financial rules so clubs do not feel “compelled” to sell academy players.
When clubs sell academy graduates the entire transfer fee goes down as ‘pure profit’ in their accounts and can help them navigate the top flight’s strict profit and sustainability rules.
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, who has been at the club since he was eight, has agreed to join Atletico Madrid in a £33m deal.
Mason Mount (£55m), Lewis Hall (£28m), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£15m), Ian Maatsen (£35m), Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5m) and Billy Gilmour (£7.5m) are among the other academy players to be sold by the club in the last 12 months, with Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah widely expected to join them.
The sales have helped Chelsea spend a world-record sum of well over £1bn in the past four transfer windows to revamp the squad with young players.
When asked whether the Blues risk upsetting supporters by selling popular academy players, Maresca said: “But this is not Chelsea’s problem, these are the rules. All the clubs at this moment are compelled to sell players from the academy because of the rules. It’s all of the Premier League clubs’ problems.
“It’s not only us, it’s all the Premier League clubs. It’s a shame because in Italy, we have [Francesco] Totti with Roma, 20 years with the same club – one club man. We love that in football, the fans want to see that. But with the rules now it is different than the past.
When pressed whether Chelsea’s spending has put them in this position, he replied: “Yeah, but it is not only Chelsea spending money on players. It’s all the big clubs to try and buy players.
“Some of the clubs spend more, some spend less. My personal opinion is it’s a shame because we like to see a one club man but the rules are different.”
He was then asked whether the rules need changing and said: “If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes.”
Premier League clubs have agreed to trial an alternative financial system which operates like a spending cap in the 2024-25 season.