Enzo Maresca stresses that Chelsea have no intention of selling academy players for profit, but Premier League rules force the Blues to do so.
The Chelsea head coach is preparing for the start of his first season at Stamford Bridge, where the team host reigning league champions Manchester City next Sunday.
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But the hype surrounding the upcoming season has not focused on the actual football, but on the sale of one of their homegrown talents.
Conor Gallagher has signed a five-year, £33m deal with Atletico Madrid – and some Chelsea fans are outraged at the growing trend of owner Todd Boehly and co. selling academy graduates.
Some fans suspect that the Blues will continue to sell their homegrown players, as their transfer fee is considered pure profit under the profit and sustainability rules, but Maresca stresses that this is not the club’s intention.
When asked if he was confident that Chelsea were still trying to develop players from the academy and not just sell them for profit, the former Leicester boss said: “Absolutely.”
“I also think it is not the club’s intention to sell players from the academy, but the rules dictate that you have to do it eventually. This does not only affect us, it affects all Premier League clubs.”
“It’s a shame because in Italy we have Totti at Roma, at the same club for 20 years.
“A club person, that’s what we love in football, that’s what the fans want to see. But the rules are different now than they used to be.”
When asked about the fact that Chelsea’s squad costs a billion pounds, Maresca said his club was not the only one where this was the case.
“Yes, but Chelsea is not the only one spending money on players,” he said. “All the big clubs are trying to buy players.”
“Some clubs spend more, some less. My personal opinion is that it’s a shame because we like to see a player who only plays for one club, but the rules are different.”
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When asked if he thought the Premier League needed to change its rules, he said: “If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes.”
Former Chelsea youth players sold by Boehly’s consortium Clearlake Capital include Mason Mount, Billy Gilmour and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
This summer, Ian Maatsen was sold to Aston Villa for £37.5 million and Lewis Hall went to Newcastle for £28 million.
Now Gallagher is apparently about to leave and the Blues are reportedly already looking for a replacement.