Newcastle United hit out at PSR quirk that banked millions as alternative solution suggested

Eddie Howe 'doesn't understand' the rationale behind Premier League clubs being 'incentivised' to sell academy graduates as Newcastle United prepare to face Elliot Anderson once again.

Newcastle travel to the City Ground to take on Anderson's Nottingham Forest side for the second time in 73 days on Sunday and the former Magpies youngster was the first to admit in an interview with the Times that it was 'strange seeing faces you used to be with'. Anderson, after all, had come through the ranks of his boyhood club and become a valued member of the squad under Eddie Howe.

However, in the final days of June, Anderson took a call from Howe who explained the situation Newcastle were in as the black-and-whites scrambled to raise funds to avoid a PSR breach. The sales of Anderson and Minteh to Nottingham Forest and Brighton ultimately spared Newcastle the doomsday scenario of a possible points deduction, but CEO Darren Eales said it was 'perverse' that clubs were effectively rewarded with pure profit for selling such youngsters. Howe has been similarly outspoken on the matter.

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"I don’t understand the rationale," the Newcastle boss told reporters. "Why are we in a position where you're incentivised to sell academy products? I don’t necessarily think they started with that intention, but the rules are forcing teams to make those decisions.

"So for us to put all the work into Elliot - the academy, the coaches, the time - to then see him leave and now flourish for another Premier League club isn't something we should be in a position to do. It should be more of a level field that you can sell players and have the same effect that it was with Elliot."