With the prospect of a transfer ban, due to alleged Financial Fair Play violations potentially looming, Chelsea FC will reportedly spend huge this winter transfer window. And if the Daily Express is to be believed, the sum could reach £200 million. That’s quite a January transfer window war chest for manager Maurizio Sarri to work with.
Hey, when you know open bar is going to get cut off in a few minutes, you better go up and get a top shelf drink; better make it a double too. According to the Express, “FIFA have recommended the Blues receive a four-window transfer ban following an investigation into them signing under-age foreign players.”
So who is on the Stamford Bridge shopping spree list?
You could start with Borussia Dortmund forward Christian Pulisic, who we previously covered in detail over at this link. The American international is also very much on the radar of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur right now, and his final price tag could top £70 million.
Also on the list is a former Chelsea youth product, Nathan Ake, who is with AFC Bournemouth now. He’s also reportedly attracting the interest of Tottenham. Sarri might also look to pluck Elseid Hysaj from his former club Napoli, at the price of £50 million.
If and when FIFA hits the west London club with punitive action, they could be off the market for two years. We have seen the two Madrid clubs recently hit with transfer window bans for committing offenses similar to what Chelsea currently stands accused of.
All clubs are of course innocent until proven guilty.
In other Chelsea transfer news, the club could find a permanent home for one of their recent transfer window busts, Tiemoue Bakayoko. He’s currently on loan at AC Milan, and they would be looking to keep the French international if the price to acquire him is dropped substantially, claims Italian outlet Tuttosport.
Milan want Chelsea to drop the original price from €40m to €25m.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Lineups.com and Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.