Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca Calls for Change to Financial Rules

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed concerns about the current financial sustainability rules in the Premier League, saying they need to be changed to protect academy graduates from being sold off.

Conor Gallagher, the England international, is set to join Atletico Madrid in a £33 million deal, making him the latest in a string of Chelsea academy players to leave the club in recent years. Maresca believes the financial regulations, which limit Premier League clubs to losses of £105 million ($134 million) across a three-year assessment period, are partly to blame for the trend.

"In this moment, there are clubs who need to sell players to recoup funds," Maresca said. "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."

Maresca also lamented the departure of long-term club players, like Roma’s Francesco Totti, who played for the same team for 20 years. "We love that in football, the fans want to see that," he said. "But with the rules now, it is different from the past."

Chelsea has been forced to recoup funds after splurging £1 billion ($1.3 billion) on new players under the new ownership of LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital.

Profit and sustainability rules have been blamed for the slow summer transfer window, with Everton and Nottingham Forest both docked points last season for breaching the regulations. Newly-promoted Leicester could face a similar punishment for breaches in the 2022/23 campaign.

When asked if the rules need to be changed, Maresca responded, "If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes."

Gallagher’s potential departure has sparked unrest among Chelsea fans, but Maresca hopes the final decision will be "good for everyone."