Stefan Borson: Trevoh Chalobah among stars Chelsea could sell to fund ‘surprising’ deal
Chelsea are considering their options heading into the final week of the January transfer window.
Football Insider revealed on 9 January Chelsea were expected to be quiet in the window due to their settlement agreement with Uefa.
The Blues are yet to make any new signings this month despite spending heavily since BlueCo took over in May 2022.
However, Chelsea have made an approach to sign Jeremy Jacquet, but French side Rennes are looking for a fee in excess of £50million.
Liverpool and Arsenal are also interested in Jacquet as they look to bolster their defensive options before the window closes on 2 February.
What does the Uefa settlement mean for Chelsea’s transfer plans
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider it’s “surprising” Chelsea have the capacity to sign Jacquet under Uefa’s squad cost control rules (SCR).
Chelsea were fined £26.7m by Uefa last summer for breaching its financial rules, while they will face a further £51.2m penalty if they don’t comply with the governing body’s rules in the next four years.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Chelsea’s efforts to sign Jacquet, Borson said: “It’s surprising they have the capacity to be able to do it, to be honest.
“I can see how they can do it under PSR, but it’s slightly surprising they can do it under SCR with Uefa.
“But their settlement agreement with Uefa does give them a bit more breathing space. It’s a four-year agreement, so they can do a little bit more this season.”
How Chelsea could agree Jeremy Jacquet deal
Borson suggested Chelsea could look to sell the likes of academy product Trevoh Chalobah to balance the books if they can get a deal over the line for Jacquet.
“They may be looking at it and going, ‘Well, what we’re going to do in the summer is we’re going to sell X, Y and Z, including say players that have got no book value, maybe Chalabah’s and these sorts of players,” said Borson.
“Players that have come through the youth, take a profit and offset some of these moves, but it’s a surprising deal.
“Without having the full set of accounts, it’s very hard to understand why Chelsea would be spending another €50-60m (£43-52m) on a defender right now.”
Chelsea currently sit fifth in the Premier League table after recently appointing Liam Rosenior as their new manager.
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