Transfer Ban: Chelsea win at CAS, free to sign players in January

Chelsea’s FIFA transfer ban for breaking youth transfer rules has been reduced after their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was successful.

The outcome means that Blues manager Frank Lampard will be able to sign new players in the January transfer window.

A statement issued by CAS on Friday read: ‘The FIFA Appeal Committee decision dated 11 April 2019, in which CFC was declared liable for violations of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) and banned from registering new players, nationally and internationally, for two (2) entire and consecutive registration periods, fined £467,000, reprimanded and warned on its future conduct, has been modified.

‘The following sanctions have now been imposed by the CAS:

CFC is banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for one (1) entire registration period, which the club already served during the 2019 summer registration period;

CFC is ordered to pay a fine to FIFA of the amount of £231,000.

The warning and the reprimand are confirmed.’

Lampard will now be able to try to bring in new recruits next month. Chelsea did welcome winger Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund during the 2019 summer transfer window after signing him last January.

The Blues were also able to bring in Mateo Kovacic on a permanent deal from Real Madrid as he was already registered with FIFA having spent last season on loan at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea were given a two-window ban last season after failing to register young overseas players over a number of seasons but that has been cut to one following a successful appeal.

Chelsea challenged verdicts by FIFA’s disciplinary and appeal committees which stated that they had violated rules protecting minors from trafficking on 150 occasions. Those cases involved about 70 players.

The Premier League club also broke rules prohibiting third-party influence on players, with FIFA imposing a fine of £467,000.

The Premier League club has therefore already served the suspension as they were not able to make any new additions last summer.

Chelsea have denied any wrongdoing and will look to spend in January with Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho, Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell and Lyon striker Moussa Dembele among their targets.

Although the Blues accept it will be a difficult market to enter with many clubs unwilling to sell mid-season.