Chelsea could face an even harsher problem deduction than Everton next season, says football finance expert Stefan Borson. While Nottingham Forest scored four points for their own Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches on Monday, the Premier League did not hesitate to punish clubs for breaking the rules.
Everton were the first team to face a problem deduction, with the Premier League taking 10 problems from the Merseyside club in November for breaching benefits and sustainability (PSR) rules. That number was then reduced to six issues in February, following a call from the Toffees. Forest’s problem deduction also constituted PSR violations.
Chelsea have spent over £1 billion since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital teamed up in May 2022, and have most likely had their own issues with FFP. However, the club said it had acted within the rules.
To meet the PSR, groups will not have to lose more than £105 million over 3 years. This, Borson told talkSPORT, may simply mean the loss of Chelsea: “There was speculation with Mason Mount, as announced on Manchester United’s website. page on July 1 that [its sale] had been postponed to the existing season.
“So, the £55 million profit for this season. Now it turns out that Mason Mount appears to have been traded in 2022/23 and that’s how they were awarded through the [FFP rules]. “
That means they want that £55m back this season. “Because we also know, from BlueCo’s accounts, that they’re lately generating, in post-balance sheet events, something like £48 million in profit for this year,” he continued.
“They actually want to locate buyers for Trevoh Chalobah for £20 million, Armando Broja for £40 million and Conor Gallagher for £50 million. These are the types of agreements you want to make. And by the way, they all have to be finished by June 30. As we know, this is laid down in Forest’s decision. And there’s a total verbal exchange about how difficult it is to sell players before June. The Premier League has warned that this is more or less impossible.
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There is no indication that Chelsea will be categorically punished, but the Blues would want cash to balance their books, hence Boehly’s eagerness to heed offers for Gallagher despite his importance to Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The allegations against Chelsea could be far more serious than those against Everton and Forest if the Premier League ends up blaming them for violations.
He said: “I think the scale of the losses they are predicting at the moment seems to me to be much higher than that of Everton and Nottingham Forest. “