The Real Reason Why Arsenal And Chelsea Don’t Sign Young Players From Each Other
Jan 7, 2017 at 5:45 PM
Having a good relationship with an opposing manager or chairman can make all the difference when trying to negotiate a deal for a player.
With the transfer window open, there will be plenty of potential transfers that collapse before they even get started due to a rivalry or dislike between the two teams involved.
But particularly when the clock is ticking on deadline day, knowing a fellow manager who is willing to hand you a player in the dying seconds can be the difference between relegation and staying up.
And yet according to The Mirror, two of the Premier League’s biggest teams have a secret truce that actually prevents them from signing youngsters from each other.
Arsenal vs Chelsea are usually pretty competitive and engrossing encounters on the pitch but away from the action, it would appear they get on pretty well.
For years, there has been an unwritten rule between the two clubs not to nick youngsters from each other which is becoming increasingly prevalent within football at youth level.
Of course, it hasn’t stopped the two London giants negotiating for senior players, with Petr Cech the most recent first-team star to swap Stamford Bridge for the Emirates in 2015.
But when it comes down to any potential wonder kids of the future, the policy is clear: hands off.
Many Premier League clubs today pump millions of pounds into their respective academies each year in the hope of unearthing the next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Such is the competition for the country’s top talents, though, it has led to pretty unsavoury tactics being employed in order to tempt youngsters away from one club to sign for another.
The Premier League now keeps a watchful eye over every transfer involving Category One academies to ensure nothing untoward has occurred.
In the immediate future, Arsene Wenger and co. may very well have to tread lightly in regard to one specific player to maintain the unwritten agreement between his club and their rivals and avoid breaking any rules.
Last year, Arsenal were linked with making a move for Chelsea teen Dominic Solanke due to a contract stand-off.
And with the young forward’s current deal set to expire in the summer, there will be nothing stopping him joining the Gunners at the end of the season as a free agent.
However, in the unlikely event Solanke is ‘tapped’ up between now and then, the so-called truce would come under serious scrutiny.