(Credit: Manh Tung – Breaking Media / Imago)
Chelsea could be handed further sanctions by UEFA this season despite achieving a positive net spend this summer.
That is the verdict of football finance expert Dan Plumley, who told Football Insider exclusively that the Blues are “still firmly on UEFA’s radar”.
Chelsea were hit with a record-breaking fine by the European governing body last season for their failure to comply with financial regulations.
The Blues agreed to rein in their spending whilst also cutting squad costs, which resulted in Chelsea breaking the record for the highest income in a single transfer window.
That included selling Noni Madueke to Arsenal and sending Nicolas Jackson on loan to Bayern Munich, with the deal becoming a permanent one if certain parameters are met.
But despite registering a positive net spend [transfermarkt], Chelsea may not be in the clear when it comes to further sanctions from UEFA.
Chelsea still on UEFA’s radar and may face further sanctions
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Plumley explained what Chelsea had done this summer in a bid to evade further penalties from UEFA.
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He said: “I think we know where we are with Chelsea to a degree now, and we’ve seen them operate again.
“They’ve brought players in, but they have sold players. We’ve got to factor in the Club World Cup and the revenue that they earned from that, which was significant.
“That’s helped some of their activity in this transfer market. Again, the usual caveats apply that a lot of those fees are not paid up front, they’re spread over a number of years, so there’s that situation in the background.
“You’re back to looking at the here and now with them, and that’s being still firmly on UEFA’s radar; we’re pretty clear about that.
“They still might face further sanctions.”
Chelsea face possibility of points deduction
UEFA are not the only governing body taking issue with the Blues at the moment.
Chelsea were charged by the FA on 11 September with 74 alleged rule breaches relating to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022, with events between the 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons the primary focus.
If the West London side are found to have gained a sporting advantage as a consequence of what they are accused of, a point deduction could be inbound.
Chelsea have until 19 September to respond to the charges levied against them by the FA.