Alan Shearer has named the one football transfer which ‘sums up’ why he hates the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
PSR rules were first introduced in the 2013-14 season and are designed to ensure financial fair play among top-flight teams and protect the overall stability of clubs.
Shearer, though, has been left frustrated at how PSR rules have impacted his beloved club Newcastle United since their big-money takeover three years ago.
There is one transfer in particular which hurt football pundit Shearer and it was Newcastle’s decision to sell Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest for £35m.
Anderson has impressed at Forest since leaving Newcastle in the most recent summer transfer window, particularly in Monday’s win over Crystal Palace.
‘Elliot Anderson was superb for Nottingham Forest on Monday night, and he sums up why I hate the PSR rules,’ Shearer told Betfair.
‘They were not brought in, so clubs have to sell their local players, and that is one of the let downs with the system.
‘Elliot is a talented player, we’ve seen that for Newcastle, he just wasn’t getting regular game time, but because of the laws and rules, Newcastle had to sell him to balance the books.
‘That’s the part of the PSR rules that don’t sit easy with me.’
Newcastle have endured a mixed start to the season under Eddie Howe and lost at home to Brighton in their last Premier League match.
‘Newcastle did not make the signing or signings that they wanted in the summer so they’re no better off now, then they were a year ago which is a slight concern,’ Shearer added.
‘It’s been a bit of a rocky start to the season and another major part of that is the upheaval we’ve seen in terms of different personnel at the football club, with Dan Ashworth leaving, Amanda Staveley left, and a new sporting director came in.
‘The team behind-the-scenes failed Eddie Howe in the summer. I know they’ve got the PSR rules, but they did have a lot of money that they put down for Marc Guehi which wasn’t spent in the end. They failed Eddie in the summer and made his job harder than it could’ve and perhaps should’ve been.’