The FA are set to follow suit and fine Chelsea, but Liam Rosenior’s side will not be given a points deduction, following an alleged 74 rule breaches. The Blues are likely to pay another substantial fine, avoiding any form of sporting sanctions. Chelsea self-reported the financial irregularities after BlueCo and Todd Boehly acquired the club from former owner Roman Abramovich.

There are seven transfers that are at the centre of the Premier League’s investigation. The transfers of Eden Hazard, Ramires, Willian, David Luiz, Andre Schurrle, Nemanja Matic and Samuel Eto’o have all been investigated with money paid to third parties or unlicensed agents.

The players in the transfers are not accused of any wrongdoing. The judgement reads: “The investigation determined, and the club has similarly admitted, that the payments made… occurred with the knowledge and approval of certain senior former officers and/or directors of the club; were made via the third party entities with funds which, it is understood, were controlled by or associated with the then owner of the club, Mr Roman Abramovich.”

Additionally, there are four other players whose names have been redacted from the Premier League report, though the reasons for these omissions remain unclear.

A statement from the Premier League read: “As a result of the Premier League’s investigation, it was established that between 2011 and 2018, undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties. These payments were not disclosed to the football regulatory authorities at the time, including the Premier League. The payments were made for the benefit of Chelsea FC and should have been treated as having been made by the club.

“The club has also accepted, among other things, that the making of these payments, as well as the failure to disclose them to the League, constituted a breach of the requirement to act in good faith towards the League.”

Chelsea have issued their own statement in response, accepting the Premier League’s sanction and stating they have “voluntarily and proactively disclosed to all applicable regulators potential historical rule breaches, including incomplete financial reporting that took place over a decade ago.”

They stated: “The club welcomes the recognition from the Premier League of its ‘exceptional cooperation’ and that ‘without those voluntary disclosures and the act of self-reporting, a number of the Premier League rule breaches may never have come to the attention of the League’.”

Chelsea were penalised for financial irregularities by UEFA back in 2023 for “submitting incomplete financial information” for the period between 2012 and 2019, marking the second occasion in recent years they’ve had to fork out a substantial sum.