ENGLAND — Manchester City used seven academy players in Premier League matches during the 2025-26 season, more than any other club.

Chelsea's academy graduates accumulated 5,673 minutes in the Premier League during the 2025-26 season, the highest total among clubs. Manchester United fielded six academy players who combined for 1,264 minutes, compared with 5,162 minutes shared between Chelsea and City academy products. United have named at least one homegrown player in every matchday squad since 1937.

Under the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, clubs cannot make a loss of more than £105 million over a rolling three-year period. Everton were sanctioned twice for breaching those rules. Dale Johnson, a football issues correspondent, said clubs had exploited the framework. "Clubs have been able to just trade academy players between each other and that would automatically go into their accounts. It would create profit when all they're doing is swapping players. So it was basically a way of getting around the regulations, increasing your limits and these academy players were being used as commodities," Johnson said.

"I think the game was uneasy with it," he said. Under new squad cost ratio rules effective from 1 July, the cost of any player a club sells will be split over three years for financial assessments.

Eddie Howe, manager of Newcastle United, said: "I do think it is slightly sad that academy products are now seen as a vehicle to sell and generate profit."

Since 2021, post-Brexit regulations have required players moving to England from overseas to be at least 18 years old and qualify for entry through a points-based system. James Vaughan, head of academy recruitment and player pathways at Everton, said: "Brexit has had a big impact. Players are becoming more valuable early on because clubs don't want to lose them, and with that comes an element of having to give players the belief they can make it into the first team. So they get fast-tracked."

Vaughan, who is also a parent of an academy player, said: "You miss out on what other lads your age are doing - going out, going to parties. You're going to bed early. Now I'm a parent, I see it differently. My son's in an academy and you realise the sacrifice. Night after night, you're there in the cold, supporting them. Everyone around them - coaches, families - there's so much that goes into it."