Kieran Maguire: ‘Backlash’ looms as Man City could soon set up English ‘feeder club’
There would be a backlash from supporters if the loan system is relaxed to allow Man City to send multiple players to a single English club in a feeder-club style arrangement.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about a potential relaxation of the rules surrounding domestic loans.
A source told this site last Thursday (2 February) that a revamp of the loan system has been proposed as part of financial redistribution talks between the Premier League and EFL.
Powerful voices within the top flight want to remove limits on the number of loans allowed to a single club, and there is also an appetite for EFL clubs to commit to housing a certain number of loanees per season.
City are one of the most active users of the loan system in English football, with dozens of youngsters out on loan at any one time.
Maguire claims that they could essentially use smaller teams as feeder clubs under the proposed changes to the loan system.
“One of the proposals of Project Big Picture was the idea of B teams for Premier League clubs,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“This was a move to transfer power and wealth to the big clubs. They were effectively going to be feeder clubs.
“When that hairbarined scheme was kicked into the long grass, it left a bit of a vacuum for Premier League clubs in terms of player development.
“A relaxation of the loan system would be beneficial. Having many players on loan at a single destination club could be seen to be one step in the direction of setting up B teams.
“I think this is one area that would get a lot of backlash from the recipient clubs, however.”
In other news, Man City beaten by Chelsea to Morgan signing.