Daily Mail

CHELSEA FACE TRANSFER BAN

FIFA set to act over Traore and look at other top-flight clubs

- By MATT BARLOW

Chelsea face the threat of a two-year transfer ban following a long FIFa investigat­ion into the signing of Bertrand Traore.

Officers from FIFa’s Integrity and Compliance unit have spent three years delving into the Traore case and 13 other transfers involving the london club and players aged under 18. according to French online news site

Mediapart, one of the organisati­ons publishing the findings of Football leaks, the unit recommends Chelsea are punished with a fine of £45,000 and an embargo on all signings to cover a total of four transfer windows. One window relates to Traore and the remaining three windows to cases involving the 13 other alleged offences.

FIFa are investigat­ing other Premier league clubs for similar breaches.

Burkina Faso internatio­nal Traore signed his first profession­al contract in september 2013 after his

18th birthday. He was registered in the January 2014 transfer window. Revelation­s by Mediapart, however, claim FIFA found evidence to suggest Chelsea misled them over the real dates and acted in bad faith. Traore (right) had played for Chelsea at 16 in an Under-18 match against Arsenal. The club also admitted they paid his mother £155,000 in April 2011 to acquire a first-refusal option to sign him. A further £13,000 was paid to the club AJE Bobo-Dioulasso, chaired by Traore’s mother. It was claimed the deal was an option for four and a half years when the limit for players under 18 is three years. Chelsea last night said: ‘The club has fully co-operated with FIFA and has provided comprehens­ive evidence demonstrat­ing compliance with FIFA regulation­s. We will not comment further.’ A FIFA spokesman said: ‘Investigat­ions were opened concerning Chelsea as well as other English clubs.’ Meanwhile, Chelsea will consider loan offers for Gary Cahill, 32, in January.

 ?? EXCLUSIVE PICTURE: MARK LARGE ?? Eye of the storm: Premier League chief Richard Scudamore arrives at his lavish farewell party in London last night
EXCLUSIVE PICTURE: MARK LARGE Eye of the storm: Premier League chief Richard Scudamore arrives at his lavish farewell party in London last night
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