Man Utd and Chelsea facing brutal transfer reality as PSR impact becomes clear
Manchester United and Chelsea are among the Premier League sides who could face PSR issues as they seek to offload high earners with the likes of Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish facing uncertain futures
Premier League clubs are facing the prospect of losing millions on big-money players they are struggling to sell as the ramifications of PSR start to bite.
Seasoned England internationals including Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are amongst those who have been told they are now surplus to requirements as teams look to raise transfer cash and save on superstar wages in a bid to keep the bean counters happy.
But with many clubs now taking care not to overcommit financially in order to stay within PSR parameters, an increasing number of sellers must decide whether to slash asking prices or offer pay-offs to compensate for any drop in salary. In some cases they may have to do both.
One top agent said: 'This is the time of year when most transfer deals are done - and compromises are reached to help the market to move. We've already seen a number of big transfers take place at Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City - and they are likely to have a domino effect.
'But a number of clubs have also made no secret of the fact that they're looking to move players out who have cost them a fortune in transfer fees and wages. That's a buyer's market. Some clubs will have to cut their losses at some point just to get those players out of the door.
'That means slashing valuations or subsidising salaries to move players out. Either way there's going to be some pain. It's not exactly a new scenario - but PSR has become an added complication. Clubs now count every pound. The wriggle room they once had is becoming tighter every year.'
United made it clear at the end of the season that they were prepared to listen to offers for any player - but the priority is to find clubs for a group of misfits who cost more than £310million in transfer fees and who take home wages totalling a staggering £1.4million every week.
That list includes Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia, a quartet who were allowed to leave on loan last season, as well as Casemiro, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Hojlund. So far there have been no serious takers.
Chelsea are facing a similar dilemma. The London club want to recoup cash on the £184m they invested on Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi and Djordje Petrovic after leaving all five out of their squad for the Club World Cup.
So far, the only concrete proposal has come for Felix from Benfica - but the Lisbon club want to hand Chelsea less than half of the £43m they paid Atletico Madrid last year and have indicated his £130,000-a-week wages are also excessive.
Sterling, a £45m buy from City, has returned from a loan spell at Arsenal, while Chilwell spent last season at Crystal Palace four years after Chelsea paid Leicester £45m for the full-back. They earn £350,000-a-week and £200,000-a-week respectively.
Pep Guardiola 's decision to leave Jack Grealish out of City's squad for the CWC has confirmed that the £100m midfielder is now surplus to requirements at the Etihad. Everton would like to take Grealish on loan - if City subsidise his £300,000-a-week wages. The Blues also wouldn't stand in the way of John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan, two players who take home more than £400,000-a-week between them in wages.
Liverpool are prepared to cash in on £85m Darwin Nunez if they can recoup £70m for the Uruguayan striker - but he has made it clear that he would prefer to remain in Europe for a campaign that ends in the World Cup rather than to take up an offer from Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal that would tick most of the financial boxes at Anfield.
Our source added: 'Clubs from the Saudi Pro League could offer solutions but while the contracts on offer to players are fabulous, they are not always so generous when it comes to paying transfer fees. There is also the question of whether players want to play in Saudi when they've still got a lot to offer in the Premier League.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
12 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Low key sick' – Fans want Club World Cup broadcast feature introduced permanently after watching Inter Miami opener
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FOOTBALL fans have been left impressed with a new television feature at the Club World Cup. The opening game of the tournament between Inter Miami and Al Ahly ended in a 0-0 draw. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Football fans were loving a new feature shown on Dazn's footage Credit: X formerly Twitter / @DAZNFootball 4 The referee's point of view is seen from a camera in his earpiece Credit: X formerly Twitter / @DAZNFootball 4 It shows his view as he awards a yellow card to Inter Miami's Tomas Aviles Credit: X formerly Twitter / @DAZNFootball 4 Fans were impressed and want the feature used permanently in broadcasts Credit: X formerly Twitter / @DAZNFootball However, while there was a lack of goals for viewers to sink their teeth into, fans were treated to a "ref cam" while watching on from Dazn. The first use of the feature was seen in the 25th minute of the clash when a yellow card was awarded to Inter's Tomas Aviles. Footage shared to Dazn's social media page showed the point of view from a camera attached on referee Alireza Faghani's earpiece. The Aussie whistler can be seen running behind the ball when Aviles clatters into midfielder Zizo, who had come off the bench in an early substitution for the Egyptian outfit. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL TALL ORDER Cristiano Ronaldo and son pose together but fans all spot shock detail Reacting on social media, fans seemed to be huge fans of the feature. One said: "Ref cam is low key sick. MLS has done this at All-Star Games in the past and it was cool too. I was dubious of it in a competitive match but it's been a big success for me in the opening CWC match." A second said: "This ref cam is actually useful." A third added: "An excellent addition to the game." BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Another said: "Still very confused why we don't use better tech in today's game. It's 2025." A fifth said: "This Referee Cam should be standard. It would actually help VAR and its officials out a bit more, and it looks pretty cool, too." Dazn unveil brilliant Club World Cup promo video with legendary boxing announcer drafted in to ring bell on tournament Fans across football, including in the Premier League, have called for increased transparency in understanding refereeing decisions. In May 2024 Jared Gillett used a similar piece of kit in a clash between Crystal Palace and Manchester United. Earlier this year, SunSport reported how FA chief Mark Bullingham backed changes to introduce them fully at the top level. Bullingham said: 'In the pro game, bodycams are more about if they will be good for the broadcaster. 'It is something which should be trialled — and potentially allowed. 'Initially, it might be trialled without audio and then with audio." Bodycams are used at grassroots level to protect referees from abuse. WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN
The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
Boca Juniors fans take over Universal Studios Florida ahead of Club World Cup as Ultras filmed singing on rollercoaster
BOCA JUNIORS fans took over Universal Studios in Florida ahead of the Club World Cup. The Argentine giants kick off their campaign against Benfica at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami tomorrow. 2 2 And fans have been making the most of the trip to the US, taking in the local attractions. A group of Boca ultras visited Universal Studios and enjoyed the rides and attractions. On one rollercoaster a group began chanting team songs and pumped their fists with enthusiasm. Social media users loved the fans' antics, with one saying: "They're crazy. Boca fans are crazy." The Club World Cup got underway on Sunday with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahly drawing 0-0 with Inter Miami. There are five rule changes being introduced for the competition including referees being given body cameras. Footage from referee monitor reviews will be aired LIVE in stadiums and AI will be used to collect live match data as part of Fifa 's partnership with Hawk-Eye. Semi-automated offsides will also be in use and balls will contain a sensor. And substitutions will be requested on a digital tablet rather than via paper slips. Boca Juniors are in Group C along with Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Auckland City.
The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Low key sick' – Fans want Club World Cup broadcast feature introduced permanently after watching Inter Miami opener
FOOTBALL fans have been left impressed with a new television feature at the Club World Cup. The opening game of the tournament between Inter Miami and Al Ahly ended in a 0-0 draw. 4 4 4 4 However, while there was a lack of goals, fans were treated to a "ref cam" while watching on Dazn. The first use of the feature was seen in the 25th minute of the clash when a yellow card was awarded to Inter's Tomas Aviles. Footage shared to Dazn's social media page showed the point of view from a camera attached on referee Alireza Faghani's earpiece. The Aussie whistler can be seen running behind the ball when Aviles clatters into midfielder Zizo, who had come off the bench in an early substitution for the Egyptian outfit. Reacting on social media, fans loved the feature. One said: "Ref cam is low key sick. MLS has done this at All-Star Games in the past and it was cool too. I was dubious of it in a competitive match but it's been a big success for me in the opening CWC match." A second said: "This ref cam is actually useful." A third added: "An excellent addition to the game." Another said: "Still very confused why we don't use better tech in today's game. It's 2025." A fifth said: "This Referee Cam should be standard. It would actually help VAR and its officials out a bit more, and it looks pretty cool, too." Dazn unveil brilliant Club World Cup promo video with legendary boxing announcer drafted in to ring bell on tournament Fans across football, including in the Premier League, have called for increased transparency in understanding refereeing decisions. In May 2024 Jared Gillett used a similar piece of kit in a clash between Crystal Palace and Manchester United. Earlier this year, SunSport reported how FA chief Mark Bullingham backed changes to introduce them fully at the top level. Bullingham said: 'In the pro game, bodycams are more about if they will be good for the broadcaster. 'It is something which should be trialled — and potentially allowed. 'Initially, it might be trialled without audio and then with audio." Bodycams are used at grassroots level to protect referees from abuse.
