Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 30,279]

Chelsea’s 74 FA charges explained: What are the allegations and how could they be punished?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6619592/2025/09/11/Chelsea-fa-charges-agents-explained/

 

A 94-word statement released by the English Football Association on Thursday has cast a cloud over Chelsea.

The news that the club had been hit with 74 charges relating to alleged breaches of rules on agent payments did not come as a surprise to club executives, given the issue has been hanging over them since 2022, but it has sparked concern among supporters.

Here, The Athletic explains why Chelsea have been charged and what the implications could be.

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What have Chelsea been charged with?

The 74 charges are related to alleged breaches of FA rules regarding regulations on working with intermediaries and third-party investment in players.

To be more specific, and if you have time on your hands to go through all the jargon in the FA manual, the governing body’s statement refers to “breaches of regulations J1 and C2 of the FA’s football agents regulations, regulations A2 and A3 of the FA’s regulations on working with intermediaries, and regulations A1 and B3 of the FA’s third-party investment in player regulations”.

The alleged offences took place between 2009 and 2022, although the focus is on what took place from the 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons.

Chelsea say the offences are all related to the regime of the club’s previous owner, the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, although the FA declined to confirm that point when asked about it by The Athletic.

Chelsea also say that they flagged the discrepancies to all the governing bodies — the FA, the Premier League and UEFA, which looks after European football — when the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium bought the club in May 2022.

Significantly, at the time, the consortium withheld £100million ($135m) from the £2.5billion sale price of Chelsea due to concerns they could inherit “unforeseen liabilities” after examining the club’s finances.

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What do the charges relate to?

Essentially, Chelsea are accused of making payments worth millions of pounds in relation to player signings that were not registered in the club’s accounts submitted to the FA, Premier League and UEFA.

Some of the accounting that has come under scrutiny relates to Eden Hazard’s £32m move from Lille to Chelsea in 2012, plus Willian’s and Samuel Eto’o’s transfers from Anzhi Makhachkala a year later, for £32m and on a free transfer respectively. There is no suggestion that any of the players were guilty of wrongdoing.

 

Willian’s transfer to Chelsea is one deal under scrutiny by the FA (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

One of the reasons the accusations have to be taken so seriously is that they could be seen as Chelsea trying to get around profit and sustainability rules to secure a sporting advantage. However, in the process of looking into their figures, Chelsea say that they hired an independent accountancy firm and they found the club would have still passed the threshold even if all the payments were declared on the official books.

Club sources speaking anonymously to The Athletic to protect relationships say this is more of a tax issue and that a financial settlement has already been reached with HMRC.

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Why did Chelsea report themselves to the authorities?

The discrepancies came to light while the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium was doing its due diligence during the takeover process in 2022.

These related to payments connected to transfers to offshore companies and players’ families and representatives, which is why the £100m deduction in the asking price was demanded.

On completing the purchase, the new owners made their findings known to all the governing bodies. They wanted to be open and transparent, particularly given the strong possibility these claims would come out eventually and they would face potentially even tougher questions. Chelsea wanted to ensure there was a clean slate from the previous era.

Chelsea gave the FA the files and historical data they had discovered that related to the payments. There has been regular dialogue ever since and the club say that whenever the FA has come back with more questions or requests for material, it has been provided.

 

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

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How long could this take?

Chelsea have until September 19 to respond to the FA’s official statement, although there is a recognition that, given the number of charges to examine, the club could be given an extension.

Any sanction will be decided by an independent commission, which will be held as soon as possible.

If Chelsea plead guilty to all 74 charges, the commission will then just have to decide the punishment. Should the club protest against half of them, for example, the commission will have to decide to uphold or dismiss the half Chelsea have protested against.

The different possibilities mean there is no fixed date for when this will all be over but Chelsea are aiming for it to be resolved quickly. However, there is also the issue of an ongoing Premier League investigation into the same financial issues.

“The FA and Premier League will likely be looking at why no one picked up the irregularities and how they were shown in the many reports and documents, compiled by those both inside and outside the club,” said Yasin Patel, a leading sports barrister at Church Court Chambers.

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How could they be punished if the charges are upheld?

There is a range of sanctions — sporting and non-sporting — that could be applied, ranging from a fine to a Premier League points deduction and/or a transfer ban. Chelsea reporting themselves and not fighting the investigation at any point should aid their cause.

A precedent was set when UEFA handed Chelsea a £8.6m fine in July 2023 for ‘incomplete financial reporting’ under the Abramovich regime. Chelsea are hopeful that the independent panel will reach a similar conclusion and that it will end with another financial penalty rather than a sporting sanction.

There are examples of the FA just issuing clubs with fines for breaching football agent regulations although it should be pointed out that these were isolated cases on a different scale to the claims made about Chelsea.

For example, Wigan had to pay a £40,000 fine in 2014 over the signing of Marc-Antoine Fortune; Brighton & Hove Albion were fined £90,000 by the Football Association in 2015 over the transfer of Dale Stephens a year earlier; and Reading were fined £200,000 last year over breaching intermediary regulations with Michael Olise’s agent in 2019.

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Why are Chelsea’s owners facing possible punishment rather than the Abramovich regime?

Even though the vast majority of staff and players have changed since Abramovich left, it is still Chelsea Football Club that has been seen to flout the rules, so they are the ones that have to be held accountable for what has allegedly taken place.

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What have Chelsea and the FA said?

The FA has said nothing other than the statement announcing the charges on Thursday morning.

Chelsea responded soon after with a statement published on their website. It read: “Chelsea is pleased to confirm that its engagement with the FA concerning matters that were self-reported by the club is now reaching a conclusion.

“The club’s ownership group completed its purchase of the club on May 30, 2022. During a thorough due diligence process before the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules. Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including the FA.

“The club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the club’s files and historical data. We will continue working collaboratively with the FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible. We wish to place on record our gratitude to the FA for their engagement with the Club on this complex case, the focus of which has been on matters that took place over a decade ago.”

[Vesper 30,279]

Chelsea to sign Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha in 2026

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6622905/2025/09/12/Chelsea-transfer-news-strasbourg-emegha/

 

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Emanuel Emegha from BlueCo sister club RC Strasbourg.

BlueCo, the company the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium created when buying Chelsea in 2022, owns both clubs involved in the deal, which will be formally processed in 2026.

Last season, the 22-year-old scored 14 goals and provided three assists in 27 appearances in Ligue 1.

Having started his career at Sparta Rotterdam, the Netherlands under-21 international went on to play for Royal Antwerp and Sturm Graz before joining Strasbourg in 2023.

 

This summer, Chelsea completed the signings of strikers Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, while Nicolas Jackson joined Bayern Munich on a loan deal with a conditional obligation to buy.

Chelsea also recalled striker Marc Guiu from a previously agreed season-long loan deal at Sunderland following an injury to Delap, which is expected to rule out the striker for several months of the campaign.

Enzo Maresca’s side, who have collected seven points from their opening three league games, travel to Brentford in a west London derby on Saturday.

Why have Chelsea signed Emegha?

Analysis from The Athletic’s Chelsea Correspondent Simon Johnson

The summer window has been closed for under a fortnight and Chelsea have already made another signing for the future. The obvious question is why?

Emegha has been under consideration at Chelsea for some time — it helps that they can keep a close eye on his progress at sister club Strasbourg.

The multi club model worked in Chelsea’s favour here. Champions League clubs in England and abroad were beginning to show a lot of interest in the forward earlier this year but Strasbourg were able to keep hold of him this summer.

Emegha was spoken to, assured that he’d be better off staying one more year and developing at Strasbourg before moving elsewhere. A sign of the trust and value placed in him was that he was also made captain for this season.

At that point a move to Chelsea was not promised or guaranteed, but clearly given the relationship between the two clubs it could not be ruled out.

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Emegha has increased in Chelsea’s thinking in recent weeks. For starters he is seen as a successor to Nicolas Jackson, who was granted his wish to leave Stamford Bridge last week and has joined Bayern Munich on loan. There is a contractual obligation included which can make that permanent if certain conditions are met, but even if that does not happen, the plan is for him to be sold permanently in 2026 regardless.

Emegha is regarded as one of the fastest strikers in Ligue 1 and a player who likes to run in behind defences as well as down the channels – essentially what Jackson has been doing over the past two years but Chelsea feel his potential is greater.

When Chelsea were assessing what to do following Liam Delap’s hamstring injury at the end of last month, which will rule him out until November, they deliberately decided not to add another striker in the last few days of window. They did not want to block the pathway of Marc Guiu, who they decided to recall from loan at Sunderland. Significantly the same reasoning was applied to Emegha as they stepped up thoughts of buying him with 2026 in mind.

Chelsea felt it was too early for him to come now and that another year at Strasbourg will make him even more polished. The fact he will also get experience playing in European competition via the UEFA Conference League is seen as another positive.

The club also feel there is a strong possibility of Emegha being part of the Netherlands squad for the World Cup should they qualify. That means getting a deal agreed in advance before facing possibly even more competition for his signature is so important.

Chelsea want strength in depth for their attacking positions and with Joao Pedro able to play as a No 10 as well as up front, Emegha will provide another useful option leading the line along with Delap in 2026-27.

What would Emegha bring to Chelsea?

Analysis by Thom Harris

Standing at 6ft 5in (195cm), and Europe’s fastest centre-forward per SkillCorner’s PSV-99 metric, Emegha instantly fits the physical, line-leading mould.

The 22-year-old is another forward bought and sold by Austrian side Sturm Graz, along with Rasmus Hojlund and Monaco’s Mika Biereth, a sure-fire seal of approval regarding his athletic, goal-poacher profile.

At the top of an exciting Strasbourg side, Emegha is often the man to stretch in behind and keep opposition centre-backs on their toes. His opening goal away at Marseille back in January was almost comical as he recalibrated his run three times to get in behind a slack defensive line.

Emegha is more about bundling home from close-range and finishing his chances with finesse, but his shot map below illustrates just how much danger the Dutchman’s darting runs can generate, with almost 97 per cent of his league shots this season falling inside the penalty area. Only five Ligue 1 players scored more than his 14 goals.

His expected goal (xG) value per shot of 0.28 was also the highest of any player in Europe’s top five leagues this season, pointing to a striker who consistently gets himself into threatening positions, even if his finishing can sometimes leave a little to be desired.

Despite his more slender frame, Emegha can still hold his own and create something from nothing with combative channel runs.

On occasion Emegha’s height can work against him — he can sometimes look clumsy in front of goal while he sorts out his feet — but his speed, strength, and magnetism to high-value shooting opportunities makes him an intriguing profile who will continue to cause damage as he sharpens his striking instincts.

[Fulham Broadway 17,355]

6'5''

Thats taller than Flo

[Fernando 6,593]

8 hours ago, Vesper said:

Deinner Ordóñez

Chelsea join Liverpool in race for Ecuadorian prodigy, 15, as Blues hold talks over £14m-rated defender

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15088427/Chelsea-Liverpool-Ecuador-prodigy-15-14m-rated.html

Chelsea have held talks over a move for Ecuador defensive prodigy Deinner Ordonez.

The centre back is regarded as the next great talent to emerge from Independiente del Valle who have produced the likes of Moises Caicedo, Kendry Paez and Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie.

Still only 15, Ordonez impressed playing above his age group at the South American U20 Championships earlier this year where he was the youngest player to appear there in over a decade.

His performances have already caught the eye of Liverpool scouts and clubs from Spain and Germany.

Already over 6ft tall, Ordonez is right-footed but is utilised as a left-sided centre back where he is fast earning plaudits for excellent use of the ball and his ability to build play from the back. He is also strong in the air though still to develop physically.

Independiente are willing to strike a deal to sell the youngster, similar to the transfer structured previously for Paez who agreed to leave at 16 but was only eligible for transfer this summer in turning 18.

Ordonez does not turn 18 until October 2027 but there is already talk of Independiente looking for around £14million including add on payments for the teenager.

Chelsea have been determined in their pursuit of global up-and-coming talents and often ruthless in their willingness to beat the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid to their signatures.

 

I don't know if it's been mentioned but Ecuador has like a golden generation. 

I don't remember players from Ecuador being good in Europe like this. 

Kind of like what happen with Belgium with their gold generation. Granted that Belgium generation was amazing with Hazard and company, but it's interesting to see this boom in Ecuador, something never seen before for that country. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Fernando

[NikkiCFC 8,370]

 

[Mário César 1,330]

8 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

We already knew that

His move to tottenham dont bother me too much

we are ok in the attack

[Vesper 30,279]

4 hours ago, Fernando said:

I don't know if it's been mentioned but Ecuador has like a golden generation. 

I don't remember players from Ecuador being good in Europe like this. 

Kind of like what happen with Belgium with their gold generation. Granted that Belgium generation was amazing with Hazard and company, but it's interesting to see this boom in Ecuador, something never seen before for that country. 

Nilson Angulo

[Vesper 30,279]

EXCL: What my sources are saying about Adam Wharton ahead of January interest from Liverpool, Chelsea & Man Utd

Keep a close eye on this one...

https://thedailybriefing.io/p/excl-what-my-sources-are-saying-about

 

I’ve just had an interesting WhatsApp exchange with a very well-connected source who’s expecting strong interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton this January.

As I recently reported for CaughtOffside here, Wharton had genuine and concrete chances of moving late on this summer, but Palace succeeded in frightening suitors off with a whopping £100m price tag.

Needless to say, there was no appetite to let Wharton leave so late in the window when Eberechi Eze had already joined Arsenal and Marc Guehi looked set for a move to Liverpool.

In the end, Eagles co-owner and chairman Steve Parish will have to view the transfer window as a relative success - Eze was the only major sale, with Wharton and Guehi staying put, while Oliver Glasner is also still in charge despite interest from Manchester United.

Adam Wharton will be one to watch again in January

However, this may all only be a temporary reprieve, with Guehi obviously out of contract at the end of the season. As reported yesterday, Liverpool remain confident that they’re in pole position to sign him on a free transfer despite “noise” about links with other clubs.

Wharton is also going to be one to watch again in upcoming transfer windows, with my sources telling me that Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United could all push for him in January.

Starting with United, we know they made a bid for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, and he’s still on their list, but that might not be the only midfield signing they make in the next twelve months, with Wharton also highly appreciated.

My source this morning told me: “United see Wharton as the ideal replacement for Casemiro, who’s expected to leave at the end of the season. His ability to dictate play from deep fits perfectly into Ruben Amorim’s tactical setup. They made an approach in the summer, but Palace rejected it outright.”

This source, who was also one of the first to confirm Arsenal had made a breakthrough on the Eze deal, also informed me that Wharton’s asking price for January would likely be more like £60m than the £100m they raised it to towards the end of the summer.

World Cup could come into Adam Wharton’s thinking

Why the change of heart? Well, although Wharton is not expected to push hard for a move away from Selhurst Park, there is next summer’s World Cup to think about.

(Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

The England international is likely to be part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but there’s a lot of competition for a starting spot. Clearly, this is a player who knows very well that he’s good enough to be in that XI, but playing for a bigger club and in the Champions League would undoubtedly do his chances no harm.

My source confirmed this to me, saying: “Wharton is keen to play European football and cement his place in the national team - these factors could influence his next move.”

This could mean Liverpool and Chelsea have an advantage over United for the time being, as they’re both in Europe, but it’s also the case that there’d be more competition in those squads.

Arne Slot is a big admirer of Wharton as I understand it, but football is unpredictable and all sides will know there’s some uncertainty about whether the 21-year-old would immediately be able to shift other top midfield players like Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch or Dominik Szoboszlai out of the Liverpool starting line up.

Similarly, Chelsea already have Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez as their clear first-choice midfield pairing. Wharton very much fits the profile of player this Blues ownership likes, but it’s not a move without its risks.

Wharton is open to leaving Palace and I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about this in the weeks and months ahead, but a combination of regular playing time and European football will be crucial. Let’s see if anything emerges that ticks both of those boxes.

[mkh 622]

 “Any way back for Sterling and Disasi?” 

Maresca: “With us? No” 

[mkh 622]

16yo Reggie Walsh trained with CFC first team this week 

Enzo Maresca: "I like all the academy guys but Reggie is the one I like more than the rest. He is doing things I'm demanding from others, but he is doing those things without me asking him. I don't need to ask him."

Maresca on Mheuka and Ryan Kavuma McQueen: “They are both in my plans, for sure. Shimmy was already with us and played some games for us last year. Ryan is more of a winger.”

Maresca on Mheuka and Ryan Kavuma McQueen: 

🗣 "They are both in my plans, for sure. I was watching when Ryan scored four goals against Germany, so I was very impressed, but I already knew him. One of my staff is always watching the youth team; they told me he was very good."

[@LloydCanfield]

Edited 2 hours ago by mkh