Maheta Molango, the CEO of the Professional Football Association (PFA), has called for a change to the Premier League’s “nonsensical” profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) as he believes players do not get a fair say in their futures.
A number of clubs, including Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, are thought to be close to the PSR ceiling, with the sales of players who have progressed through the club’s academies one method of making themselves compliant ahead of the June 30 deadline.
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For accounting purposes, sales of homegrown players are banked as ‘pure profit’ on the books in the current accounting period, while the cost of incoming transfers are often being spread out over several seasons.
An agreement has been reached for Ian Maatsen to join Aston Villa from Chelsea for a fee north of £35million with Villa academy prospect Omari Kellyman a target to move the other way for £19m.
Everton’s move for Tim Iroegbunam — completed on Saturday — will also see Villa make a healthy profit while Lewis Dobbin’s switch in the opposite direction offers similar benefits to the Goodison Park club.
Molango said the issue of transfers to meet PSR requirements highlighted the need for players “to be at the table and part of those discussions” as the rules “do not make sense” in practice.
“How can it make sense that, due to the rules, you end up selling an academy player?” Molango said. “It does not make sense for him. It doesn’t make sense for the club either because they are part of your identity.
“You end up with nonsensical situations that meet the rules but are counterproductive for the players, the club and the fans, because they want to see their academy players. Those are the ones who make you dream that create that bond with the club. And this is why the governance of football needs to change.”
Accounting periods typically run from July 1 to June 30 with any losses over the £105m limit leaving clubs vulnerable to punishment.
Everton and Nottingham Forest were both hit with points deductions for PSR breaches in the 2023-24 season.
(Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)