FIFA have rejected Chelsea’s appeal against a two-window transfer ban meaning they won’t be able to register players until next summer.
Football’s world governing body has upheld the ban they originally imposed on the Londoners in February following an investigation into the club’s signing of foreign players under the age of 18.
Clubs are not allowed to sign under-18s that are living in a different country unless their parents are moving to the new country for non-footballing reasons or they are aged between 16 and 18 and moving between countries within the European Union.
Chelsea have been found to have breached those rules and will now be banned from signing players until the summer of 2020.
The ban does not affect Christian Pulisic’s move from Borussia Dortmund, as Chelsea registered the 20-year-old back in January before he returned to the German club on loan.
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However, it does mean Chelsea will not be able to sign current loan players, Mateo Kovacic and Gonzalo Higuain, on a permanent basis and they will therefore return to their parent clubs at the end of the season.
The Blues have always maintained their innocence and they could still opt to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to see if the ruling can be overturned or frozen, although they will have to act quick as this summer’s transfer window is due to open on May ending.
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