PSR pressure piles on Chelsea
CHELSEA face a huge challenge to avoid breaching Premier League sustainability rules after posting an £89.8million (R2.091billion) loss for the 2022/23 season.
The Blues’ wage bill soared to over £400m last season, while they splashed out £745m on transfer fees.
But that investment in the club’s first full season under an American investment consortium fronted by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly failed to deliver success on the field.
Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League last season despite having the second-highest wage bill, behind only English champions Manchester City.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men currently sit in ninth position on the table this season despite a further £454m being spent on new players since June 30, 2023.
Chelsea’s losses were mitigated by the sale of a hotel for £76.3m to the club’s parent company, Blueco.
Figures for the current season are likely to be even worse as Chelsea are not involved in European football.
A run to the Champions League quarter-finals last season was worth around £83m.
Football Association figures released on Friday also showed the west London club has spent a Premier League record of £75m on agents’ fees alone this season.
Chelsea are likely to have to raise
significant sums from selling players before the end of June to avoid falling foul of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Premier League clubs are allowed to lose a maximum of £105m across a three-year assessment period.
Chelsea posted a £121m loss in the 2021/22 season.
Everton have been deducted a total of eight points on two separate charges, and Nottingham Forest have been docked four points for breaches of PSR this season.
Coincidently, this news broke on the eve of Chelsea’s hosting of Everton at Stamford Bridge tomorrow night. |