‘Bizarre’ - Gary Neville slams PSR issue after Newcastle United ‘forced’ into £68m transfer

Newcastle United were one of a number of clubs to feel the impact of PSR this summer as they were forced into selling two of their brightest talents in order to avoid a points deduction. Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson were sold to Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively, raising £68m in total.

Those transfers ensured the Magpies avoided a points deduction with one of the quirks of PSR meaning clubs can record sales of academy products as pure profit in their accounts - with the £35m they received for Anderson being recorded as such. The Magpies are far from the only side being forced to take advantage of this, however, with Chelsea also seeing a fair number of their academy products leave the club in order to fund new arrivals.

The constraints of PSR were particularly felt this summer and Neville believes the rules are preventing Newcastle United from spending money they have and challenge the elite clubs in the country. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “I think it is the most bizarre transfer window. 

“I think PSR now is beginning to be applied by the Premier League and that’s why we’re seeing a lot of clubs, including Manchester United, having to navigate around selling players they maybe would want to.

“PSR was never designed so clubs had to sell their best academy players, and that’s what we’re seeing so something needs to change dramatically in the next 12 months in terms of the rules.

“Newcastle, I think, will 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 clubs 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 we can’t keep holding Newcastle back and we are at this moment in time.”