Chelsea could be forced to start transfer ban this summer over fears it will be increased if they attempt to delay
Chelsea could be forced to start serving their two-window transfer ban this summer over fears the punishment could be extended if they attempt to delay it.
And that means any successor to Maurizio Sarri will have to prepare for the nightmare scenario of losing Eden Hazard without being able to replace him before the start of next season.
Fifa have already turned down an appeal from Chelsea against the ban handed to them for the transfer of young foreign players.
An appeal has been made to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but there has not yet been confirmation of an application being made for the ban to be frozen in the meantime.
The feeling around Stamford Bridge is growing that Chelsea are likely to start serving their ban this summer, regardless of when they find out the result of their appeal to CAS.
Chelsea are refusing to comment on the situation, but sources claim that there is a real fear the ban might be extended to three transfer windows if they lose their appeal and are judged to have tried to delay it.The blow of being prevented from signing players this summer would be softened slightly by the fact Chelsea already have Christian Pulisic joining them and can make midfielder Mateo Kovacic’s loan permanent.
Kovacic’s signature from Real Madrid must be agreed before his loan deal officially expires, so that his registration does not need changing.
The uncertainty caused by the transfer ban has been increased by Sarri’s desire to return to Italy with Juvenus and another change of head coach.
While Sarri attempts to finalise his Juventus switch, for which Chelsea want around £5 million in compensation, the club are considering who would be best to replace him.
Frank Lampard, Nuno Espirito Santo, Javi Graci and Steve Holland are all among the candidates to succeed Sarri, but will have to consider how to keep Chelsea competitive while losing Hazard and potentially not being able to replace him.
Real Madrid managing director Jose Angel Sanchez flew to England for talks with Chelsea over Hazard this week.
He has since returned to Spain amid conflicting reports over whether or not any progress had been made during negotiations.
Hazard is waiting to be told whether or not a move is close while he is away with the Belgium national team.
Chelsea have secured the future of David Luiz, who signed a new two-year contract, and the club are now hopeful of tying Callum Hudson-Odoi to a new five-year deal.
Hudson-Odoi handed in a transfer request to try to engineer a move to Bayern Munich in January, but had forced his way into the team before suffering the ruptured Achilles tendon that ended his season.Relations between Chelsea and the teenager’s representatives have since improved and Hudson-Odoi has become more optimistic of holding down a regular starting place at Chelsea - particularly with Hazard set to leave.
Decisions on the futures of a number of Chelsea’s army of loanees have been shelved, with the expectation being the club will have to bring some of them back into the first-team squad if the ban starts this summer.
The thought is that players like Michay Batshuayi, Kurt Zouma, Reece James, Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount will be considered for places in the first-team squad next season.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/06/05/chelsea-could-forced-start-transfer-ban-summer-fears-will-increased/