If Roman Abramovich no longer owns Chelsea since the 2021/2022 season and the start of the war between Ukraine and Russia, the Russian oligarch remains no less targeted by the English authorities. The Premier League is also on board. This time, it is the transfers which concern Willian and Samuel Eto’o which raise questions. As a reminder, the Brazilian arrived at Chelsea in 2013 from Anzhi Makhachkala, just after being transferred from Shakhtar Donetsk in the winter, for 35 million euros, before establishing himself as a major player for the Blues until his departure in 2020. Samuel Eto’o, for his part, arrived in London freely after an atypical stint within this same Russian club. According to The Timespayments could have been made to “Russian entities” regardless of transfer fees.
But the Premier League is on the lookout and is mainly investigating payments of millions of pounds by Chelsea between 2012 and 2019 to secret offshore companies. Strange payments, spotted during the takeover of the London club by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium. “Sources close to the matter said payments to at least six offshore companies had been identified, raising questions about whether they were linked to the transfer of players. The alleged payments, which amount to seven figures, do not appear to have been recorded as part of the club’s annual financial reports to the FA, Premier League and UEFA, which would constitute a breach of their rules.writing The Times. Chelsea hopes, however, that the fact of having reported the irregular payments constitutes an attenuation of the case, despite the sanctions which threaten Todd Boehly’s club. Times are tough in South West London…
