Much is made these days of Profit and Sustainability rules for Premier League clubs. Quite rightly, Boards of Management keep one eye on the finances to avoid falling foul of those very rules which are in the spotlight now with Manchester City’s case finally being heard in secret.
Several years ago West Ham stumbled into a row over the sale of a former youth system player which caused tempers of the then-captain and supporters to fray, but which now might become the perfect method of running a successful academy and Premier League Club.
Many of you will remember Grady Diangana – the youngster with-‘Diang’ on his shirt, who came through West Ham’s youth system having joined as a 12 year old in 2010. Despite originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Grady became ‘one of our own’ by adoption as he grew through the youth teams. His senior debut in the EFL Cup in 2018 yielded goals and a Premier League debut three days later. High hopes were all around West Ham for his future.
However in August ’19 he was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion and scored on debut, and 8 goals in WBA’s successful promotion campaign. Contrary to many fans’ wishes and with condemnation from then Hammers’ Captain Mark Noble who said he was “Angry and sad that Grady has left”, the decision to sell him for an undisclosed fee was confirmed by the West Ham hierarchy which created a load of ill feeling amongst the fan base, who felt his potential warranted keeping him at London Stadium.
Mark Noble went public with his anger that Grady was sold
Since then, it is fair to say that Grady hasn’t pulled up any trees and he has justified the decision to sell him. Transfermarkt.com ‘estimate’ his sale price was £10 million: Pretty good business by the club who, if repeated now, would be able to offset that whole £10 million as profit under PSR rules. Much as it grated with me at the time ( I was a big Grady fan) it seems in hindsight, both financially and sporting-wise a pretty sound decision.
As PSR rules become ever more important, it won’t surprise me to see this same process repeated ever more frequently. Don’t shoot the messenger – however much we as fans complain, the increasing importance of ‘the business’ side of football means academy players hold a high profit value and only the very, very best will find themselves being kept at the club.
Something else to get used to in this strange new world of the ‘football entertainment business’. I am not brave enough to speculate which of our crop of FA Trophy winning youngsters might yet find themselves shipped out and sold off for the sake of PSR.
Ah, money. If UEFA and FIFA were actually concerned about preserving the beautiful game for the countries, the clubs, the fans and the love of the game, they’d introduce caps on players wages and transfer value.
It wouldn’t stifle the game, it’d just halt the gravey train of rip off agents, and vast wealth into their coffers from all of the TV rights, blah, blah, blah.
I love this game, but essentially it’s 22 fellas (or ladies) kicking a bag of air around a rectangle pitch. Albeit with the grace, skill and elegance of any art form you wish to compare.
Greed at the top, takes competitive sport and turns it into American “sports entertainment”.
When do we become Redbull Hammers?
With changed red kit colour, red bull name for stadium .. we shouldn’t joke about these things..