Chelsea have ‘bent the rules to agree deal – I’m amazed they’ve been able to do this’
Chelsea have come under fire for selling their women’s side to a sister company to balance the books for the senior men’s side – who have signed more than £1.5billion in new arrivals since the Todd Boehly takeover.
The Blues are understood to have sold their women’s team to BlueCo in June last year, with the deal believed to be worth in excess of £150million.
That deal helped the Blues post a profit for the 2023-24 campaign and avoid punishment under Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
However, it has been widely reported that the Premier League are yet to assess and approve the transaction for fair market value – and will investigate it in due course.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has had his say on Chelsea potentially landing themselves in hot water.
Chelsea rivals will be ‘looking down their nose’ after women’s team deal, says Wyness
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness has claimed Chelsea won’t have broken rules – but the deal “doesn’t pass the smell test”.
The Blues could return to the Champions League next term with Enzo Maresca’s side currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table.
| Player | Fee (€million) |
| Enzo Fernandez | 121 |
| Moises Caicedo | 116 |
| Wesley Fofana | 80.4 |
| Mykhaylo Mudryk | 70 |
| Marc Cucurella | 65.3 |
Wyness insisted he is “amazed” at Chelsea’s brazen move and claimed it is “not in the spirit of the ways things should be done in football”.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Look, they obviously haven’t broken rules – but they’ve bent the rules.
“It doesn’t pass the smell test, as far as I’m concerned.
“It’s not the spirit of the way things should be done in football.
“The valuation of the women’s team is 18 times the yearly revenue. There’s a comparison with the team out in the United States – but I don’t know if that works.
“I’m amazed they’ve been able to do this.
“I don’t think they’re going to be in trouble for this, but we can say that we disapprove.
“It’s not the way we want to see things done, and I think a lot of their competitors will be looking down their nose at Chelsea now.
“It’ll come home to roost in some way in the future, believe me.”
Boehly and Clearlake fund new £115m Chelsea injection
Meanwhile, Football Insider revealed on Thursday (3 April) that Chelsea have received a £115million injection from their owners in the form of a new share issue.
Chelsea’s owners have made a series of cash injections into the club, with up to £450million invested this season alone.
Finance expert Stefan Borson has told Football Insider that Chelsea are confident of avoiding any PSR breaches despite showing no signs their heavy spending is coming to an end.
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