Enzo Maresca says the Premier League's rules are forcing clubs to sell their academy graduates, insisting Chelsea are not the problem as they prepare to cash in on Conor Gallagher.
Atletico Madrid have had a £33.7million bid accepted for Gallagher, who joined Chelsea at the age of six.
He is set to become the latest academy starlet to be sold since the current ownership took over, after Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Ian Maatsen, Billy Gilmour, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Omari Hutchinson and Lewis Hall. Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja may follow Gallagher out of the Cobham exit this summer also.
Gallagher, 24, was informed on Friday that he had no long-term future at Chelsea and would be a squad player under Maresca as he does not suit the desired style of play. When the sale to Atletico is finalised, he will represent pure profit on the balance sheet.
Chelsea have spent more than £1billion on transfers since their May 2022 takeover but Maresca insisted it is the Premier League rules that are posing problems to clubs.
Enzo Maresca says Premier League rules are forcing clubs to sell their academy stars as Conor Gallagher looks set to complete a move to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the coming days
Gallagher was informed on Friday that he has no long-term future at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea have sold academy stars including Mason Mount under the current ownership
‘This is not Chelsea's problem, these are the rules,’ Maresca said ahead of facing Real Madrid in the final friendly of their United States tour.
‘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.’
Asked if he was confident Chelsea still want to promote players from the academy and not only sell them for profit, Maresca answered: ‘Absolutely. 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.’
When it was put to him that Chelsea have spent a great deal of money, Maresca said: ‘It is not only Chelsea spending money on players.
'Some of the clubs spend more, some spend less. My personal opinion is it's a shame because we like to see a one-club-man but the rules are different.’
Maresca says rules in football have changed which will prevent one-club players such as Francesco Totti (pictured) who spent two decades with Italian side AS Roma
Do the rules need to change? ‘If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes,’ he added.
Maresca also insisted he does have a say in the transfer market with them heavily linked with two attackers in Samu Omorodion and Victor Osimhen. ‘I do not think there is any manager in the world that is not involved in making decisions,’ he said.
‘How can I accept a player that doesn't fit the idea of how I want to play?’