'We're holding Newcastle back' - Gary Neville demands Premier League rule change so Magpies 'can get to Man City's level'

Newcastle, alongside Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City, were struggling to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) this summer and were compelled to sell several homegrown talents to avoid punitive actions. While the Blues parted ways with Conor Gallagher, the Magpies sold Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh. As per PSR, the money that the English clubs make from selling academy players are considered pure profit in their accounting books.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has urged the league to change their laws. Neville is against the idea of teams parting ways with players who come up through their youth system and also objected to the laws that prevent Newcastle from spending big despite having ultra-rich owners.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the ex-Manchester United defender said, "I think it's [been] the most bizarre transfer window. I think PSR now is starting to be applied by the Premier League and that's why we're seeing a lot of clubs, including Manchester United, having to sort of navigate around selling players that maybe they wouldn't want to. PSR was never designed to make clubs sell their best academy players and that's what we're seeing, so something needs to change dramatically in this next 12 months in terms of the rules."

He added, "Also, Newcastle I think should be able to invest in the squad. Again, PSR needs changing so owner investment is allowed so Newcastle can get to the level of Manchester City and other clubs. We can't just keep a thumb on club's heads and say, 'You're not going to invest'. What we have to do is do it with security and sustainability in mind. That means the owner funding might have to go in upfront, but you can't keep Newcastle back and we're holding them back at this point."

The English top division has come to a halt after three rounds of matches due to the international break and will commence on September 14.