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Enzo Maresca insists he is a victim of circumstance and has been left powerless to prevent the sale of Chelsea favourite Conor Gallagher.
Chelsea have sold a slew of players who came through their academy over the last couple of years, with midfielder Gallagher the latest to be linked with an exit to Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
Gallagher, who has been at Chelsea since the age of eight, has a contract until 2025, after which he could leave the club for nothing.
With the sale of a player developed in the academy able to be marked as pure profit on a club’s books, some Premier League sides have looked at homegrown players as a source of revenue to help them limit losses.
Maresca is believed to view the 24-year-old England international as a squad player because of the playing style he will use at Chelsea, but the Italian insists Premier League rules are to blame for the decision to let fan favourite depart.
‘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.
‘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 effectively been deemed surplus to requirements, Maresca added: ‘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.’
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