Enzo Maresca claims that he is a victim of circumstances and has had no control over the sale of Chelsea favorite Conor Gallagher.
In recent years, Chelsea has offloaded several players from their academy, with Gallagher now rumored to be heading to Spanish club Atletico Madrid.
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Gallagher, who joined Chelsea at age eight, has a contract that runs until 2025, after which he could leave the club for free.
Given that sales of academy-developed players can be recorded as pure profit, some Premier League clubs have begun viewing homegrown players as a potential revenue stream to help manage their financial losses.
Another Chelsea academy player heads for the exit ???? pic.twitter.com/g5r3mkwqFb
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 5, 2024
While Maresca is thought to see the 24-year-old England international as a squad player due to his intended style of play at Chelsea, the Italian asserts that Premier League regulations are responsible for the decision to let the fan favorite go.
‘But this is not Chelsea’s problem, these are the rules,’ said Maresca when asked whether academy players will find it hard to break into the Blues’ first team.
‘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.
‘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.
Conor Gallagher. Chels.. ????
— Conn (@ConnCFC) August 5, 2024
‘It’s a shame because in Italy, we have 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.’
‘If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes (they need to change the rules).’
On the suggestion that Gallagher had been deemed surplus to requirements, Maresca said: ‘Nobody is going to be a regular starter because if I say someone is going to be a regular starter, I think it is a lack of respect.
‘For them, they need to work day by day very hard and show me and convince me they are to play but nobody knows.
‘In this moment, there is something between the club and the player; an agreement to stay or to leave. These kinds of things happen in every club, every summer and in the end the final decision will be good for everyone. Hopefully the final decision will be good for Conor and the club.’
