Cap issues for Kraft

Robert Kraft, the American billionaire who came close to buying Liverpool in 2005, has ruled out buying a Premier League club unless a salary cap is brought in.

Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots NFL franchise and the New England Revolution soccer team, said he is put off by the financial structure of English football.

Kraft, in London for Sunday’s NFL clash between Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said: “We always look at what’s right for us – I love the Premier League and we probably wouldn’t seriously consider coming in unless there was some sort of salary cap.

“We are involved in the NFL and in Major League Soccer and we are happy to compete where it’s a level playing field.

“We don’t want to be a business where the wallet determines what kind of player you have.”

Kraft said he did not blame the top players for trying to earn as much as possible but that it could create problems with fans, and he dislikes clubs having to sell off their young stars to bigger sides.

“The ideal model is to develop young players and have them come into your system but to then sell them off goes against my grain,” he added.

“Fans don’t want to hear about the money, if you win and do a professional job you will make money.

“But if the money starts taking over and you are paying players fantastic sums sometimes the incentive isn’t there to play hard every day.

“I don’t blame a player for wanting to get paid as much as they can but in the end the greatest rewards in team sports come when great players subjugate their egos to the team.”