Enzo Maresca has defended Chelsea’s decision to sell Conor Gallagher, blaming Premier League spending regulations for forcing clubs to offload academy graduates.
Gallagher is on the verge of completing a £33 million switch to Atletico Madrid and is due in Spain this week to undergo a medical and seal his departure from Chelsea.
Maresca Shares His Thoughts on Gallagher Transfer
The Chelsea academy conveyor belt continues to run as Conor Gallagher follows other young talents out of the Stamford Bridge exit door, with Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja also available for transfer.
Sales of academy players have helped Chelsea balance the books after spending over £1 billion on transfers since the club’s takeover in 2021.
Despite the backlash, Maresca maintains that the Premier League’s financial regulations have compelled clubs like Chelsea to cash in on their academy prospects.
Selling academy players is classified as ‘pure profit’ on club balance sheets, and Maresca has called for a rule change to protect young players.
“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,” the freshly recruited Chelsea head coach revealed.
He went on to say that the Premier League Sustainability Rules require an immediate revision.
“If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes,” he said.
“Absolutely [I want to promote academy players to the first team and not sell them for profit].
“I also think the intention of the club is not to sell players from the academy, but it is the rules at the end that you have to do it.
“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.”
Gallagher Set to Become New Atletico Madrid Man
Conor Gallagher is set to swap Chelsea for Atletico Madrid after the Spanish club secured a £33.7 million deal for the midfielder, following intense interest from manager Diego Simeone.
England international Conor Gallagher is on the brink of signing a lucrative five-year contract with Atletico Madrid, potentially earning him a staggering £200,000 per week, including performance-related bonuses.
With the deal in its final stages, the midfielder flew to Madrid on Monday to put pen to paper. The midfielder had previously discussed the potential move with Kieran Trippier, who spent a successful spell at Atletico.
Although the £33.7 million fee is considerably less than the £55 million Chelsea received for Mason Mount last summer – who, like Gallagher, had a year left on his contract – the club preferred to sell Gallagher to a foreign club.
Chelsea accepted a higher bid from Aston Villa in June, but Gallagher opted against a move to the Midlands. Tottenham Hotspur, who had expressed long-standing interest, failed to firm up their offer.
