Chelsea Must Act Fast: More Transfers Needed to Dodge Looming Champions League Ban
Chelsea have maintained their typical activity in the current summer transfer window as Enzo Maresca works to enhance a promising first campaign in west London.
The Blues have, as expected, acquired a collection of the most promising young players from around the globe, with their expenditure total approaching the £250 million ($336 million) threshold. Although Maresca requested the club to recruit seasoned professionals last season, the most senior of their summer acquisitions is João Pedro at 23 years old.
To enable another wave of new arrivals, Chelsea have been actively offloading fringe players. They have accomplished an excellent job of recovering finances and have nearly balanced their accounts for this summer's expenditure, with close to 20 exits having been completed through either permanent or loan arrangements.
Nevertheless, Chelsea find themselves in a situation where they must generate additional revenue through player departures before the transfer window closes to ensure they avoid sanctions from UEFA prior to the 2025–26 Champions League.
Why Might Chelsea Be Punished by UEFA?
Chelsea received substantial penalties from UEFA in July after being found in violation of the organization's regulations over recent seasons. They were issued a fine of £26.7 million ($35.9 million) for non-compliance with spending guidelines and excessive squad expenses, and they may face an additional £60 million ($80.7 million) in fines over the next four seasons if they violate the rules once more.
UEFA's regulations specify that clubs may only allocate a maximum of 80% of their income on transfers and related expenses. Chelsea violated that squad cost regulation and have subsequently accepted UEFA-imposed penalties for their squad registration in this year's Champions League.
The sanction means Chelsea cannot register any new players for the upcoming Champions League league phase unless their transfer balance for List A is positive. List A represents the primary squad of players registered for the competition, comprising a maximum of 25 players, at least two goalkeepers and a minimum of eight homegrown players.
Any new players added to List A for the new season must therefore be offset by player sales, with a player's salary and amortized transfer fee considered during the registration process.
How Much Do Chelsea Need to Raise?
It's unclear precisely how much Chelsea need to generate before the transfer deadline to meet UEFA requirements, but it's crucial to understand that only players excluded from last season's Europa Conference League knockout squad will contribute towards balancing the finances.
For instance, the departures of João Félix, Armando Broja and Djordje Petrović don't qualify as they were on loan for the second half of last season and were not included in Chelsea's most recent List A. Among the players sold this summer, only Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Mathis Amougou and Noni Madueke contribute towards the positive balance.
Since Chelsea will want to register new signings João Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens, Estêvão, Liam Delap, Dário Essugo and reportedly Alejandro Garnacho, they must concentrate on selling players who were in List A of their Conference League knockout squad last season.
Wesley Fofana and Roméo Lavia were excluded from List A last season due to injuries and will require registration, too. Fortunately for the Blues, Lavia can be added to List B, which consists of players born after January 1, 2004 who, since their 15th birthday, have played for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years, or for three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan spell within the same association.
Which Players Could Chelsea Sell?
Given Chelsea must offload players who were in List A last season and considering they are attempting to add another two new faces to their squad before the window closes, they find themselves in a challenging and uncompromising situation.
Clubs will be conscious of Chelsea's predicament in negotiations and the club itself doesn't possess an abundance of players who satisfy the UEFA criteria and could be readily sold.
Marc Guiu has been eliminated from the costs after joining Sunderland on loan, while Jadon Sancho is no longer at the club and Mykhailo Mudryk won't participate in Chelsea's Champions League league phase campaign after failing a drug test. Lucas Bergström has also departed for Mallorca on a free transfer, creating additional space.
Among the remaining players in Chelsea's Conference League knockout squad, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku are the clear paths to revenue. The former carries a price tag of approximately £80 million ($107.5 million) and is drawing interest from Bayern Munich, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, while the latter is valued at around £45 million ($60.5 million) and is expected to depart before the deadline.
Options are limited elsewhere, however, with Benoît Badiashile the only other feasible sale. However, with Levi Colwill's long-term injury, the Blues may be hesitant to permit another centre back to leave.