While Chelsea insist they have not broken any Fifa rules on the signing of underage players, there actions suggest that they know a possible transfer ban is on the horizon.
According to reports in France, the Premier League side are in trouble with FIFA for the illegal signing of players under the age of 18.
Based on documents from Football Leaks, it is claimed Chelsea face a TWO-YEAR transfer ban and a fine after 19 of their signings were investigated by Fifa’s Integrity and Compliance Department.
It is suggested 14 of those signings were under the approved age of 18, without falling into other allowed categories, or being given special permission.
One of the signings under investigation is that of Bertrand Traore, who officially arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2014, it is said. Traore currently plays for Ligue 1 club Lyon.
In a recent statement Chelsea said:
“The club has fully cooperated with Fifa and has provided comprehensive evidence demonstrating its compliance with the applicable Fifa regulations,” a statement read.
“The club has fully cooperated with Fifa and has provided comprehensive evidence demonstrating its compliance with the applicable Fifa regulations,” a statement read.
FIFA wants to crack down on the signings of minors and Spanish giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have all received one year bans for signing minors.
But a one-year ban has not stopped the practice, which is why Chelsea could face a two-year ban starting in summer 2019.
The prospect of a transfer ban is one of the reasons why Chelsea have been actively signing some of their players to new contracts recently.
It is why the Blues have also been linked with a big money move for Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic in January.
With stars Eden Hazard and Willian showing no inclination to sign new contracts, Chelsea need to bring in someone in January in case they are locked out of the next two summer transfer windows. And apparently they have settled on the second best U21 in the world.
There are some at Stamford Bridge whoever who think that a two-year transfer ban could actually be a good thing! Missing out on four consecutive markets would be a disaster for most clubs, but in Chelsea’s case, it might just be the incentive for the club to move in a bold new direction.
The Blues’ academy has long been regarded as one of the best in Europe, having won two Uefa Youth Leagues, two National Premier Leagues and five FA Youth Cups since 2014.
Instead of investing big money to replace the like of Gary Cahill, Cesc Fabregas and Victor Moses, the club could instead promote the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
