REVEALED: Chelsea player agents ‘were paid millions by the club just DAYS before the UK Government sanctioned owner Roman Abramovich’ and plunged the Stamford Bridge outfit into chaos
- Roman Abramovich was sanctioned last week over links to Vladimir Putin
- In turn, Chelsea are now operating on a very strict government licence
- That has put club employees’ jobs at risk amid huge financial uncertainty
- But days before sanctions hit, agents were reportedly paid by the club
Chelsea players’ agents have seemingly been left unaffected by sanctions placed on the club via owner Roman Abramovich.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea make two payments a year to agents in September and February.
This time around, it is claimed their most recent instalment went to the Football Association just days before the UK Government placed sanctions on Abramovich over links to Russia president Vladimir Putin.
Chelsea’s player agents were reportedly paid millions shortly before the club was hit by sanctions on its owner, Roman Abramovich
Abramovich was sanctioned over links to Vladimir Putin amid the Russian war in Ukraine
Information released by the FA last month showed Chelsea paid £35million to agents last year – the highest in the Premier League.
But now there are many club employees facing an uncertain futures amid the array of sanctions placed on the Stamford Bridge outfit last week.
They are now operating under a special government licence that is intended to allow the club to do the ‘bare minimum’ to keep running.
Property developer Nick Candy has offered to lend Chelsea money to help them through their cash-flow crisis.
The British billionaire is one of half-a-dozen interested parties preparing bids in excess of £2billion for the club, whose ability to complete the season without going into administration is in doubt after Abramovich was sanctioned last week.
Abramovich has regularly injected funds into the club to enable them to compete at the highest level.
With Chelsea already having received this season’s Premier League television money, and all their sponsorship and ticket revenue and the Premier League and Champions League merit payments not due until the summer, there are genuine concerns inside the club over whether they will be able to continue operating all season.
In addition, Chelsea cannot receive money for match tickets which have not already been sold, future gate receipts from FA Cup games or money from merchandise sold via the club shop.
Chelsea have won both games since the sanctions, including Sunday’s match with Newcastle
Chelsea’s biggest challenge will be funding their £28m monthly wage bill until the Government licence expires on May 31, with the next two payroll dates falling on April 1 and May 1.
A sale of the club is the quickest way out of the current situation and over the weekend, it was reported in the Telegraph that Abramovich and the government has found an agreement to push ahead over terms of a potential deal.
The government regard a quick sale as the best outcome for Chelsea and its fans, but for that to happen Abramovich would have to agree to writing off loans of over £1.5bn without receiving any of the proceeds.
But that appears to have happened, with the report claiming Abramovich has instructed The Raine Group – the American bank that paused the sale after the Russian was sanctioned on Thursday due to his reported links to Putin – to continue the process of completing a takeover.
On the pitch, Chelsea have won their two games played since Abramovich was sanctioned, including Sunday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle.
Next up is the return Champions League last-16 leg against Lille on Wednesday night. Thomas Tuchel’s men won the first match 2-0 in London.
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