Accustomed to unearthing players with high potential or already considered big stars, Manchester City has a keen nose when it comes to recruitment. With this in mind, the reigning English champion smelled the right move in Sávio (19 years old), author of a very good season under the colors of Girona with his five goals and seven assists in La Liga. A transfer which could be facilitated because the two clubs are part of the same group. A possible transfer which raises questions, because the two clubs are in the running to participate in the next Champions League, potentially causing a conflict of interest. So, the Premier League has raised its voice.
Indeed, as pointed out The Telegraph, the championship across the Channel has tightened the financial rules for “associated parties”, allowing tougher regulations for transfers between clubs of the same conglomerate. The championship leaders obtained approval on Friday for strengthening conditions to guarantee fairness on the transfer market. This rule is obviously not accepted by Manchester City, who were among eight clubs to vote against a temporary ban on loans between teams in the same group in January during the last Premier League meeting. Chelsea, with Strasbourg, is in the same situation as the Skyblues. City intends to use the regulations to combat this rule, while the PL affirmed that after “a comprehensive review of existing rules on associated party transactions and fair market value assessment protocols, clubs have agreed to a series of amendments to further improve the efficiency and accuracy of the system”.
