Former Everton chief Keith Wyness has claimed Leicester City are set to lose multiple key players this summer as they bid to conform with Premier League financial rules.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – suggested the Foxes are most in danger of losing “home-grown” talent – and will lose value on players as they are being sold “at a very early phase”.
Leicester were charged with breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) last week (22 March) despite currently playing in the Championship.
The Foxes, who are expected to show a loss of more than £105million over the last three years when their 2022-23 accounts are released, could face a points deduction in the 2024-25 campaign if they return to the top flight.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Hamza Choudhury and Kasey McAteer are the most valuable home-grown stars currently on the books at the King Power Stadium.
Wout Faes and James Justin are two of the other top-valued assets in Enzo Maresca’s squad.
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “There’s no doubt that these charges and points deductions affect players thinking about their futures.
“That’s where I think these sanctions go above and beyond in terms of fairness in the punishment.
“I’ve spoken to agents about this. Players who were going to stay at these clubs are now thinking about a move, because of the level of uncertainty.
“They’ve got their own personal situation to look after, so of course they are looking after themselves.
“Clubs like Leicester may lose their assets, and they’re being sold at a very early phase. They’re losing value on these players.
“The assets which make the biggest dent on the balance sheet are the home-grown players.
“For all the talk about trying to develop talent, clubs like Leicester could now be forced to sell to maintain the charade of PSR.”