Chelsea have been charged by the Football Association with 74 alleged rule breaches related to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022.
The charges are primarily focused on transfers between the 2010-11 and 2015-16 seasons.
Three deals that form part of the investigation involved Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Willian.
There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of those players.
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was in control of the club from 2003 to 2022, before selling Chelsea to a consortium led by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital.
The alleged rule breaches concern agents, intermediaries and third-party investments in players.
Chelsea, who said they had reported the potential rule breaches to the FA themselves, have until 19 September to respond.
There are a wide range of options available to sanction Chelsea, including a fine, transfer embargo and points deduction. However, the Blues’ high level of co-operation will be factored inand the club don’t expect to be hit with a sporting sanction
Sources at Chelsea also say they have no concerns about the impact of any future fines on compliance with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations (PSR) having factored in a potential punishment after the takeover of the club in 2022.
“During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules,” Chelsea said.
“Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including the FA.
“The club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the club’s files and historical data.”
The Premier League has confirmed to BBC Sport that their investigation remains ongoing.
In 2023, Chelsea were fined £8.6m by Uefa for “submitting incomplete financial information” between 2012 and 2019.
Hazard was signed by Chelsea from Lille in 2012 and, in seven seasons at Stamford Bridge, won the Premier League and Europa League twice, the FA Cup and League Cup.
The Belgian scored 110 goals in 352 games for the Blues before joining Real Madrid in 2019.
Brazilian forward Willian and former Cameroon striker Eto’o arrived at Chelsea from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in August 2013.
Willian, who scored 63 goals in 339 appearances, won five trophies with the Blues before leaving for Arsenal in 2020, while Eto’o spent one season at Chelsea before making a switch to Everton.
What has Abramovich been doing since selling Chelsea?
Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022 over alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin – something he has denied.
He was granted a special licence to sell Chelsea following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, providing he could prove he would not benefit from the sale.
The 58-year-old said funds from the sale would be donated via a foundation “for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine”, which would include those in Russia.
The £2.5bn in proceeds have been frozen in a UK bank account since the sale – Abramovich does not have access to the money but it still legally belongs to him.
In 2023, the BBC reported that leaked documents revealed a money trail linking Abramovich to two men dubbed “wallets” of Putin.
BBC Newsnight, BBC Verify and Panorama partnered with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism to uncover the revelations as part of Cyprus Confidential – a global investigation led by reporters at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and Paper Trail Media.
The reports alleged that the leaked documents from Cyprus revealed new evidence linking the former Chelsea owner to a secret £26m deal in 2010.
Abramovich has previously denied any financial relationship with the Russian leader.
In June, the Government threatened to sue Abramovich to make sure the money from the Chelsea sale goes to Ukrainian humanitarian aid – rather than “all victims of the war in Ukraine” as Abramovich had said.
Two months before selling Chelsea in May 2022, Abramovich was said to have suffered from suspected poisoning at peace talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border.
The Russian billionaire, who made his fortune in oil and gas, was reported to have a role as a broker in talks between Ukraine and Russia.
