Chelsea look set to sanction the exits of yet more academy stars
(Image credit: Getty Images)
It’s been another typically eventful summer at Stamford Bridge.
Shortly after the 2023/24 season ended Chelsea parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino, replacing him with Enzo Maresca, who had just won promotion with Leicester City.
The club have also made a host of new signings, including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Omari Kellyman and Tosin Adarabioyo, while they have also moved on a host of players - the majority of whom have been young, homegrown prospects.
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Lewis Hall and Omari Hutchinson have already been sold for a combined £65m as the club look to take advantage of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) which mean that academy graduates go down as ‘pure profits’ in their accounts, giving them more breathing room when it comes to PSR limits.
Since Todd Boehly’s consortium completed their 2022 takeover of the club, Chelsea have taken the handbrake off when it comes to bringing in new faces, splurging more than £1billion in transfer fees, meaning that the selling of homegrown players has become more important than ever for the club.
With the Blues continuing to be linked with a number of new arrivals, it would appear that more academy graduates could be set to leave the club.
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Trevoh Chalobah was left out of Chelsea's touring squad (Image credit: Getty Images)
Earlier this week Chelsea appeared to pave the way for Trevoh Chalobah’s departure when they excluded the former England U21s international from their pre-season touring squad of the United States. The 25-year-old is said to be considering his options amid interest from the likes of West Ham and Crystal Palace.
There has also been near-constant chatter about Conor Gallagher’s future in recent months, with the England international linked with Tottenham, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid. Transfermarkt value the 24-year-old at just over £40million as he enters the final year of his contract, meaning a potential departure would be a boost to the club’s accounts.
Armando Broja of Chelsea (Image credit: Getty Images)
Armando Broja is another player the club could soon bank a significant fee for, with AC Milan the latest club to be linked with the £20million-rated forward.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, the current PSR rules have created an unfortunate situation, where the harsh realities of football finance are working against homegrown talent. Fans love nothing more than seeing a young player come up through the ranks at their local team, but teams are now incentivised to move these players on, which does not sit right with us.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
