Enzo Maresca claims academy graduates like Conor Gallagher are being sold by their boyhood clubs, because it’s a “Premier League’s problem.”
Gallagher has agreed to join Atletico Madrid, making him the most recent graduate of Cobham to say goodbye to Stamford Bridge. The midfield player is about to leave Chelsea after 18 years at the club, moving from the Premier League to La Liga as the Blues start a new chapter under manager Maresca.
The Blues have said goodbye to Callum Hudson-Odoi, Billy Gilmour, Ethan Ampadu, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Lewis Hall, and Ian Maatsen since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership took over in 2022. Gallagher is on the verge of joining that list. Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja are both available for transfer.
The club has spent a lot of money in recent transfer windows thanks to the sale of these players, but probably more significantly, the club has avoided breaking the Profit & Sustainability Rules by selling academy products, which in the books constitute “pure profit.”
Maresca maintains that the Premier League is to blame, despite the fact that Chelsea has received harsh criticism for how they have treated academy players since taking over the club.
Maresca explains why Chelsea are losing their academy graduates
“But this is not Chelsea’s problem, these are the rules,” he told reporters.
“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’ problem.”
“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 from the past.”
“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.”
In response to a question about whether regulations should be changed to enhance the league, Maresca said, “If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes.”
Maresca does make some valid points but at the end of the day, it is up to a club to decide whether or not they want to sell or keep a player at the end of the day.fac
