Maresca says financial rules mean Chelsea need to sell academy players like Gallagher

Enzo Maresca says the Premier League and football’s financial rules have caused clubs like Chelsea to sell their academy graduates.

Conor Gallagher looks set to become the latest Chelsea academy graduate to move clubs with Atletico Madrid closing in on signing the England midfielder.

It would follow the departure of Mason Mount to Manchester United last summer, while Lewis Hall has also joined Newcastle on a permanent deal this summer.

Despite producing some of the Premier League’s top talents, including current club captain Reece James, the Blues have had a tendency of late to sell their own youth prospects on and instead reinvest that money in youngsters from other clubs.

The Premier League’s rules state that a club can lose no more than £105m in a three-year span and given academy players have no transfer fee, their sales represent ‘pure profit’ in a team’s accounts.

And Maresca believes these rules are negatively impacting the progression of academy players.

“The clubs are compelled to sell [homegrown] players because of the rules,” he told reporters ahead of a friendly match against Real Madrid. “It’s not a Chelsea problem, it is a Premier League problem. The intention of the club is not to sell players from the academy. But it is the rules.”

He continued: “It is a shame. Totti was with Roma for 20 years. He was a one-club man. I love that in football. But because of the rules, now it is different. Do we need to change the rules to protect academy players? Probably yes.”

Maresca also responded to reports that Gallagher would be considered a ‘squad player’ rather than a regular starter should he stay, saying that no player is guaranteed their spot regardless of their status or price tag.

He said: “Not one of them is going to be a regular starter. If I say one will be a regular starter, it is a lack of respect for the rest. I consider all of them squad players, then day by day, they work and some will play, and some not.”

Chelea’s results in preseason thus far have been far from ideal, managing just one win over Club America while losing heavily to Celtic and Manchester City. Maresca reminded reporters that it is still early days for his squad, though, and that patience will be required.

“The real pre-season was the two weeks in Cobham and, to be honest, after when we go back,” he said.

“You cannot think after two weeks, three weeks that it will all work. I appreciate Carlo’s words, I worked under him, his career is something unbelievable. It’s not something you make in two days, this is not PlayStation.”

FEATURED IMAGE: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP VIA ONE FOOTBALL