Chelsea’s 1bn splurge under Todd Boehly and Clearlake has raised more than a few eyebrows, but it’s now been revealed by “a very, very good source” that the huge intake was in anticipation of an imminent transfer ban.
The Blues have spent over £1bn on 26 new players in the last 18 months, with a focus on young talent, signed up to long contracts, with what was reportedly a view to dominate for years to come.
Things haven’t quite gone to plan with Chelsea finishing 12th in the Premier League last season and currently in 11th under Mauricio Pochettino, though the cup competitions are offering glimmers of positivity this season.
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And actually, according to former Middlesbrough star turned NBC pundit Robin Mustoe, the drive to sign so many young players was made in a bid to offset a predicted future transfer ban.
“I wouldn’t have spent (I have the reason why they did it) all that money so quickly, when you haven’t got the professionals in charge,’ Mustoe told The Byline.
“But my understanding is – and its from a very very good source – that the financial problems that was left with the club, that the new ownership had to go through all the books, and by the way they are pretty thorough with all this stuff, there was so many dodgy looking things in the accounts the club thought that they were going to get done.
“Which they have been done, they had been done by the way, they’ve been fined.
“The club were worried that they were going to get another transfer ban and to jump ahead of that potential transfer ban when they said the accounts are here and we admit there’s some problems here and some dodgy agents or whatever it is.
“They thought they had to stack up on players.”
The new owners reportedly reported to the Premier League, FA and UEFA on their arrival at the club of some dodgy dealing under Roman Abramovich, including paying millions to offshore companies.
Following Chelsea’s self-reporting, UEFA fined Chelsea €10million (£8.6m, $11m) for historical breaches of FFP regulations in July but the club is now under investigation by the Premier League, with fines, deductions and transfer bans all possible sanctions.
