90min

Enzo Maresca blames Premier League 'problem' for Chelsea's academy sales

  • Conor Gallagher has agreed move to La Liga side Atletico Madrid
  • Midfielder set to end 18-year spell at Chelsea
  • Head coach Enzo Maresca belives Premier League needs to protect homegrown talent

By Katie Catherall

Gallagher is heading for the exit door
Gallagher is heading for the exit door / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages
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Enzo Maresca believes it's the "Premier League's problem" that academy graduates such as Conor Gallagher are being sold by their boyhood clubs.

Gallagher is set to become the latest Cobham graduate to bid farewell to Stamford Bridge after agreeing a move to Atletico Madrid. The midfielder is on the verge of ending his 18-year spell at Chelsea, swapping the Premier League for La Liga, while the Blues embark on a new journey under Maresca.

Since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership arrived at Chelsea in 2022, the Blues have bid farewell to Callum Hudson-Odoi, Billy Gilmour, Ethan Ampadu, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Lewis Hall and Ian Maatsen, with Gallagher expected to join that list soon. Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah have both been made available for transfer.

The sale of these players has helped the club spend a lot in recent transfer windows and, perhaps more importantly, steered Chelsea away from breaching Profit & Sustainability Rules as the sale of an academy product represents 'pure profit' in a club's accounts.

While Chelsea have been widely criticised for their treatment of academy players under the new ownership, Maresca insists the Premier League are to blame.

Enzo Maresca
Maresca wishes to keep homegrown talent / Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/GettyImages

"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 than 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."

When asked if rules need to change to improve the league, Maresca responded: "If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes."

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