Football

BREAKING: Chelsea transfer ban lifted as Frank Lampard gets boost ahead of January window


Chelsea will be able to sign players in the January transfer window after having their two-window transfer ban lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday morning. Chelsea had been dealt a two-window ban by FIFA in February which prohibited them from making new signings until the summer of 2020.

Chelsea were found to have breached rules regarding the transfer of youth players on numerous counts by the world governing body but the club always protested their innocence.

CAS were referred the case in June and perused both the club’s and FIFA’s arguments before coming to the decision which serves as a huge boost to Frank Lampard.

The revised penalties imposed by CAS were a one-window transfer ban, which Chelsea already served in the summer, and their fine of 600,000 Swiss Francs (£462,000) being halved.

Explaining the decision, the adjudicatory body said: “The Sole Arbitrator found that Chelsea did violate Articles 19.1 (related to the international transfer of minors) and 19.3 (related to the first registration of minors) of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), but for a significantly smaller number of players (about 1/3 of the violations found by FIFA).

“In addition, the violations of other RSTP rules were found to be less serious than those attributed to Chelsea by FIFA.

“Accordingly, the Sole Arbitrator reduced the sanction to one single transfer ban (which Chelsea already served during the 2019 summer registration period), and halved the monetary sanction.

“In view of the upcoming transfer window, the Sole Arbitrator issued his decision without the grounds. The reasoned award is being and is expected to be notified to the parties in early 2020.”

Chelsea are now free to spend in January which is welcome news to Lampard and the Stamford Bridge board.

Lampard was appointed head coach in the summer with the knowledge that he would be unable to bring in new players.

That did, however, leave the club with no choice but to harvest the finest crops from the youth academy such as Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori.

The homegrown trio have excelled this season under Lampard which led many people to suggest the transfer ban was a blessing in disguise, but the news from CAS will no doubt be welcomed around Cobham.

Chelsea have a few players coming to the end of their contracts this season and were open to flogging them in January but for their inability to replace them.

That is no longer a worry for the Blues who have been linked with a host of names even throughout their dry patch in the market.

Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell is thought to be of interest to Chelsea with first-choicer Emerson Palmieri wanted by former boss Maurizio Sarri at Juventus.

Wilfried Zaha is also on the Blues’ wishlist although Crystal Palace snubbed offers in excess of £50million for their talisman last summer.

Chelsea will not be short of cash in January following their sale of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid which banked them an initial £89m which could rise to around £150m.

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