Chelsea are understood to be in talks with the Premier League over a financial settlement for secret payments related to transfers under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, says a new report.
In 2023, The Times reported that the Premier League was investigating alleged irregular payments related to Chelsea’s signings of Willian and Samuel Eto’o. Chelsea signed Willian for £32 million from Anzhi Makhachkala in August 2013, followed by Eto’o’s transfer from the same Russian club a week later. Financial records revealed that both transfers involved payments to Russian entities that were separate from the official transfer fees.
The investigation also extended to the transfer of Eden Hazard in 2012. Now, a new report suggests that Chelsea is negotiating a financial settlement with the Premier League, rather than facing a sporting sanction like a points deduction. The club’s new ownership, which took over in 2022, reportedly discovered these payments during the takeover process and promptly reported them to both the Premier League and UEFA.
Chelsea is confident that they will reach an agreement similar to the £8.6 million settlement made with UEFA in July 2023, which was for submitting incomplete financial information during the Roman Abramovich era. Despite the severity of such ‘secret payments,’ Chelsea argues that these breaches occurred under the previous ownership and would not have been revealed had it not been for the new owners’ due diligence process.
In 2023, Chelsea’s current ownership addressed the allegations of financial rule breaches related to transfers involving Willian, Samuel Eto’o, and Eden Hazard, stating that these issues predated their tenure. The club clarified that the allegations involved entities allegedly controlled by the former owner, Roman Abramovich, and did not pertain to any individuals currently at Chelsea.
A statement from the club explained: “These allegations pre-date the club’s current ownership. They concern entities that were allegedly controlled by the club’s former owner and do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club. Chelsea FC’s ownership group completed its purchase of the club on May 30, 2022.”
The statement further elaborated on how, during the due diligence process prior to the takeover, the new ownership discovered potential issues with incomplete financial reporting concerning past transactions. Upon taking control, Chelsea proactively reported these matters to football regulators and expressed their commitment to full compliance and transparency. The club assured that it would continue to cooperate fully with the investigations.
