PSR Regulations Advocating Sales
The concept of ‘pure profit’ is gaining traction in discussions about transfers within the Premier League. Following the introduction of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), clubs are striving to navigate financial restrictions to avoid penalties. Notably, Everton and Nottingham Forest faced point deductions in the 2023/24 season for PSR violations. To circumvent these regulations, clubs have increasingly turned to selling academy players for ‘pure profit.’ Premier League clubs are allowed a maximum of £105 million (€121 million) in losses before tax over any three-year period without breaching PSR.
Both player transfers in and out play a pivotal role in the PSR balance sheet. Selling one player is often essential to financing the acquisition of another. Homegrown talents are particularly valuable, as the transfer fees they generate are counted as pure profit against PSR calculations. These players grow through the academy at no cost and can be sold for significant sums. However, should this approach be encouraged? For fans, few things are as rewarding as witnessing ‘one of their own’ graduate from the academy to become a first-team hero.
For years, this connection between the players and fans has been vital. A player who understands the club’s culture breeds a deep bond with supporters. Rather than pushing to sell these talents, we should be incentivizing their retention and development. Therefore, Transfermarkt has evaluated the largest ‘pure profits’ generated from academy sales by Premier League clubs, intentionally excluding players bought from other clubs’ academies. Numerous recent transactions appear to be influenced by PSR considerations during their approvals.
Top Academy Sales of All Time
Leading the list is Jack Grealish, who rose through the ranks at Aston Villa and was sold to Manchester City for a staggering €117.5 million in 2021. Coming in second is Declan Rice, who West Ham acquired from Chelsea’s youth setup for free as a teenager and later transferred to Arsenal for €116.6 million in 2023. In third place is Harry Kane, notable for being the only player among the top ten sold to an overseas club; Bayern Munich paid €95 million in 2023 for the Tottenham academy product.
Fourth on the list is Mason Mount, who moved from Chelsea to Manchester United for €67.7 million. Given Chelsea’s extravagant spending in recent years, this sale likely aimed to conform with PSR. Fifth is Brighton’s Ben White, sold to Arsenal for €58.5 million. Sixth is Brennan Johnson’s transfer from Nottingham Forest to Spurs for €55 million. In seventh place is Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s €55 million sale from Crystal Palace to Manchester United, while eighth is Chelsea’s acquisition of Ben Chilwell from Leicester for €50.2 million. Ninth is Kalvin Phillips’ €49 million move from Leeds to Man City, and rounding out the top ten is Cole Palmer, who was sold by Manchester City for €47 million to Chelsea.
