Gary Neville speaking live on Sky Sports (Image: Sky Sports )
Gary Neville has sounded the alarm on the current Profit and Sustainability Rules, urging a rethink to prevent Premier League clubs from being cornered into offloading their homegrown talents.
The rules as they stand allow clubs to record sales of academy players as direct profit, inching many towards letting go of their young stars for financial gain.
Highlighting Manchester United's sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli as an example, where Erik ten Hag's reluctance was overruled by financial pressures, Neville argued that the league's protocols are not protecting clubs' prized assets.
On Sky Sports, Neville blasted the effect of PSR: "I think it's [been] the most bizarre transfer window.
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"I think PSR now is starting to be applied by the Premier League and that's why we're seeing a lot of clubs, including Manchester United, having to sort of navigate around selling players that maybe they wouldn't want to.
"PSR was never designed to make clubs sell their best academy players and that's what we're seeing, so something needs to change dramatically in this next 12 months in terms of the rules.
"Also, Newcastle I think should be able to invest in the squad. Again, PSR needs changing so owner investment is allowed so Newcastle can get to the level of Manchester City and other clubs.
"We can't just keep a thumb on club's heads and say, 'You're not going to invest'. What we have to do is do it with security and sustainability in mind. That means the owner funding might have to go in upfront, but you can't keep Newcastle back and we're holding them back at this point.
Scott McTominay has joined Napoli from Man Utd (Image: Getty Images)
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Ahead of McTominay's £25.4million switch to Serie A giants Napoli being finalised, Tn Hag opened up about his mixed feelings regarding the midfielder's departure. Despite acknowledging its necessity for United's financial stability, Ten Hag confessed: "It's a little bit mixed.
"I'm very happy for him. It's also (a good deal) for us, but it is mixed because I wouldn't prefer to lose him because he's Manchester United in everything.
"He was so important for our team, for Manchester United, but unfortunately it's the rules. We have to discuss the rules, when you have to sell and obviously homegrown and academy players bring more value, that's not the right thing to do."
Nevertheless, Ten Hag acknowledged the transfer's benefits for all parties involved: "But I think for everyone, for all parts it's a good deal, for Scott he's happy with it, for Napoli a very good player, but also for us."
