The Premier League could deduct points from Chelsea after the club reported itself over alleged secret payments related to the transfers of Willian and Samuel Eto’o.
The league body is now looking into alleged financial breaches at Stamford Bridge.
Ironically, these deals were reported to authorities by the Todd Boehly consortium once they took over the club in May 2022.
The new owners bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich after the UK government sanctioned the oligarch following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the past, the Blues were fined £8.6 million by UEFA for submitting “incomplete financial information” between 2012 and 2019.
But The Times reports that it could get worse, with the transfers of Willian and Eto’o from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in August 2013 now under the microscope.
Financial records allegedly show that payments were made by Chelsea to offshore companies and “Russian entities” separate from any transfer fee.
Willian was signed for £30 million from Anzhi, while Eto’o arrived on a free transfer.
There is no suggestion that either player knew of the payments.