Outside of Chelsea FC, this past January transfer window in the Premier League was pretty much a snooze fest. The west London club did the right thing, beefing up the best they could, knowing that the specter of a transfer ban loomed.
Today saw that transfer ban officially manifest, as FIFA ruled that Chelsea is prohibited from signing any new players until the summer of 2020. The two window transfer ban is a result of a three-year investigation into the signing of players under the age of 18. Both Chelsea and the Football Association have appealed the ban.
The FIFA statement declares that Chelsea: “were found to have breached art. 19 of the Regulations in the case of twenty-nine (29) minor players and to have committed several other infringements relating to registration requirements for players. The club also breached art. 18bis of the Regulations in connection with two agreements it concluded concerning minors and which allowed it to influence other clubs in transfer-related matters.”
Since this ruling has been appealed, its punitive measures are delayed, and therefore Chelsea could still be able to sign new players in the summer. They will still be able to sell players during the transfer ban, should it be upheld and the appeal effort is denied.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest ripple effects that will follow from the bombshell news that is the Chelsea transfer ban.
Maurizio Sarri’s future/potential new manager search
The Italian’s seat is scorching hot right now, as has been well documented. A couple more bad results and he might be sent packing, leaving the team to find a replacement under less than favorable circumstances. A transfer ban will turn off the best candidates (hey, I hear Jose Mourinho is available for a third go-around?) especially at a place like Chelsea where managerial regimes are typically over so quickly.
Every manager wants to build his own roster of players that fit his systems and that simply takes a significant amount of time.
Under Roman Abramovich, Chelsea managers have not been afforded the luxury of much time to get things done.
Roman Abramovich interest in/potentially selling the club on the market
Despite all the public denials, it’s pretty clear that Abramovich wants to sell the club. Dealing with his UK work visa denials, he hasn’t attended a single game this season, and he ended his Stamford Bridge upgrade/renovation project. He’s less interested in the club now, but if he is to sell it, he will likely have to cut his price significantly.
The transfer ban will be passed on to the new owner, who will obviously demand a price drop for having to inherit that. Rumor has it Abramovich wants to re-invest in a professional sports franchise, and that he would take the money from the Chelsea sale and put it in a NFL franchise.
Of course, peril surrounds that potential maneuver, as Abramovich was named to the U.S. Government’s “Putin List” or “Russian Oligarchs List,” a collection of individuals who might face a decent chance of being financially sanctioned by the USA due to their close connections to the despotic Russian Premier.
Futures of Eden Hazard and Callum Hudson-Odoi
Chelsea will certainly not let CHO move on Bayern Munich if they are unable to purchase a suitable replacement. Ditto for Eden Hazard and Real Madrid. Of course, Hazard possesses such a strong loyalty to the club that it is doubtful he would leave under circumstances such as these.
Either way, the purchase of American Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund last month seems like a brilliant investment right now.
Futures of All those Players Out on Loan All Over the World
Blue is the color of loaning out players, as the name Chelsea has even become a verb for doing so. A transfer ban would mean new opportunities with the club for these guys however. The crisis of not being able to add new players means opportunity for those already there but relegated to the fringes of the roster.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.