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Change needed to ‘protect’ academy players – Maresca

Published by Akinwale Fakinlede on August 6th, 2024.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has called for a change in Premier League financial rules to prevent clubs from feeling forced to sell their academy players Here are some key points from his statement:

– Maresca says that the current rules compel clubs to sell academy players, and it’s not just a Chelsea problem but a Premier League issue.
– He believes that the rules need to be changed to protect academy players and promote a culture of one-club players like Francesco Totti, who played for Roma for 20 years.
– The current rules allow clubs to record the entire transfer fee of academy players as “pure profit,” which can help them meet the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations.
– Maresca’s statement comes as Chelsea is set to sell another academy player, Conor Gallagher, to Atletico Madrid for £33m.
– Gallagher is the latest in a line of academy players sold by Chelsea, including Mason Mount, Lewis Hall, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ian Maatsen, and Callum Hudson-Odoi.