Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has called for a change to the current financial regulations impacting Premier League clubs. His comments come amidst the imminent transfer of academy product Scott McTominay to Italian club Napoli. This move is expected to allow United to further strengthen their squad before the transfer window closes.
Ten Hag expressed his dissatisfaction with the current rules, highlighting that they force clubs to sell players, particularly those who have come through the youth system, to meet financial regulations. He pointed out that the sale of academy graduates is particularly problematic because the full transfer fee is recorded as a profit, potentially pushing clubs towards making decisions that don’t align with their long-term sporting goals.
The ‘profit and sustainability’ rules, which limit Premier League clubs to losses of £105 million ($138 million) across a three-year assessment period, have been criticized for contributing to a relatively quiet summer transfer window. Ten Hag acknowledged the importance of McTominay to Manchester United but admitted that the financial realities of the situation made the transfer unavoidable.
“I would prefer not to lose him because he’s Manchester United in everything,” Ten Hag said at a pre-match press conference. “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.”
However, he also expressed optimism about the deal for both McTominay and Napoli. “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.”
While McTominay’s departure is imminent, there could be more movement at Old Trafford before the transfer deadline. Jadon Sancho has been linked with a move to Chelsea, with speculation suggesting that out-of-favor Blues winger Raheem Sterling could potentially move to United in a reciprocal deal.
United have already spent around £150 million during the summer window on new players, including Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Joshua Zirkzee.
United’s sporting director Dan Ashworth has confirmed that negotiations for further transfers are ongoing. “We have a couple of conversations going on at the moment. That’s all I can say. We’ll see what happens,” Ashworth said after attending the Europa League draw in Monaco. “There’s still a few hours to go, who knows what will happen in the last few hours. But we’ve been really pleased with the business we have done, in and out.”
