Chelsea are in discussions with the Premier League to agree a financial settlement for payments made during Roman Abramovich’s ownership – rather than facing a point deduction.
The issue relates to secret payments regarding transfers made when the Russian was the owner of the club. The Blues remain in talks as they seek to dodge a sporting sanction, which could impact their league position.
The new owners learned of the payments back in 2022 when they were in the midst of their takeover process, but they quickly reported them to the Premier League and hope that their transparency will stand them in good stead.
An outcome of the negotiations is expected before the end of March and Chelsea are confident they can strike an agreement, reports the Times. The Blues previously agreed a similar £8.6million financial settlement with UEFA back in July 2023 – that came after they “submitted incomplete financial information”.
A source claimed that the negotiations were ongoing and that the case involved events that took place years before Todd Boehly and Clearlake were involved with the club – and they’ve been keen to underline that it was their due diligence which had brought the irregular payments to light.
Secret payments relating to transfers would usually lead to tough sanctions, like a points deduction, but Chelsea are arguing that any rule breaches took place under a different ownership a decade ago.
In a 2023 statement, Chelsea flagged up “potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions during the club’s previous ownership” that had been raised during the takeover process – and they were “proactively” assisting the investigations.
The statement said: “These allegations pre-date the club’s current ownership. They concern entities that were allegedly controlled by the club’s former owner and do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club. Immediately following the completion of the purchase, the club proactively self-reported these matters to all applicable football regulators.”
The Premier League’s rulebook allows for a “sanction agreement” between its board and a club, which must then be ratified by the league’s Judicial Panel.
It was reported previously that the Premier League was investigating alleged irregular payments which to the transfer of Willian and Samuel Eto’o, who were signed by Chelsea in 2013. Similar payments regarding the signing of Eden Hazard in 2012 have also been under investigation.
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