Chelsea 'spooked' by points deduction latest - 'they're worried', says ex-Premier League CEO

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Published on:

22 Mar 2024, 1:30 am

Former Everton chief Keith Wyness has claimed points deductions for the Toffees and Nottingham Forest have "spooked" free-spending clubs like Chelsea.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed the Blues will have to sell young talent to avoid a rule breach.

This season, Everton and Forest have been handed six and four-point deductions respectively for breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The penalties are the first of their kind in the history of the English top-flight.

Finance guru Kieran Maguire told Football Insider earlier this month (12 March) that Chelsea will be “very close to the limit” of PSR in their 2023-24 accounts.

Chelsea 'spooked' by 'lunatic loose with a gun' after points deduction latest

As such, Wyness told Football Insider last week (15 March) that owner and chairman Todd Boehly has already set up a summer “fire sale” of talent in Saudi Arabia.

But the ex-Everton CEO suggested Chelsea could find it hard to persuade younger players to join Saudi clubs as part of the club's plan to avoid a breach.

He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “The one thing the points deductions for Everton and Forest have done is spook the other clubs.

“They’ve seen the Premier League take action.

“Clubs like Chelsea are now worried about the lunatic loose with a gun, if you like. That’s the Premier League.

“Chelsea will be worried.

“If they’re going to avoid a breach, they’ll have to sell the younger talent.

“We’ve spoken about Saudi, but I think it’ll be hard to convince the younger talent to go there. It’ll be the likes of Lukaku going out there.

“That won’t necessarily give Chelsea the value they need out of the home-grown talent, such as Gallagher.”

In other news, Chelsea star wanted by top-six Premier League clubs as selling stance revealed.

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