The ban is expected to last for two windows, which means the London club would be unable to register new players, although they are at liberty to sell.
Clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have faced similar consequences in the past, while there are also indications that Manchester City might soon follow suit.
Chelsea has indicated that they would be appealing the decision as they believe they have not done anything wrong, although, pending the outcome of their appeal, the ban is likely to still stand.
The fact that Chelsea would not be able to buy new players would have a massive impact on their transfer activities, as they might be less likely to sell off players due to their inability to replace them.
However, the ban does not cover players who are out on loan, as technically, they are already registered as Chelsea players.
The Blues have one of the most highly acclaimed academies in the world, with their youth side winning the first two editions of the UEFA Youth League, while also performing impressively well consistently in the U21 Premier League.
Nevertheless, for all the brilliance of the youth sides, it remains an uphill task to break into the first team, with the club preferring to send them out on loan in a bid to garner more first-team experience.
Chelsea currently has an incredulous number of 41 players out on loan at various clubs and it might be this set of rejected stones that the next proverbial cornerstone could be found for the club in these trying times.
Following the ban on registering players, Chelsea might need to look inwards (outwards) for the solution to their quagmire. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at seven players currently on loan who could help limit the impact of the transfer ban on Chelsea.
Honourable mentions - Todd Kane (Hull City), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Danilo Pantic (Partizan Belgrade)
#7 Mason Mount - Derby County
Mount has been a part of Chelsea since 2005 when he joined the side’s academy as a 6-year-old.
He then progressed through the ranks but suffered the fate of his fellow youth team prospects by undergoing a loan transfer to Dutch side Vitesse in 2017.
The midfielder impressed significantly in the Eredivisie where he made 29 appearances and scored nine goals, which led to former Chelsea great and current Derby manager Frank Lampard requesting for his services.
So far in the Championship, he has starred in 24 matches, scoring four goals and creating two assists.
His displays have earned him praise from both Frank Lampard and Gianfranco Zola, while he was also called up to the England national team in October 2018.
#6 Ola Aina - FC Torino
The 22-year-old is another player who started his academy training at Chelsea, having joined them in 2007 up until 2016 when he made his debut for the senior side.
Aina was promoted to the first team in the 2015/2016 season, making three EPL Cup appearances in the 2016/2017 season, while also making a further three appearances in the Cup competitions. Having initially refused to sign a new contract owing to fears over his first-team opportunities, Aina signed a new four-year deal in 2016.
He was loaned out to Hull City in 2017, where he made 44 appearances in the Championship, before being loaned out again to Torino at the start of this season where he has so far made 20 appearances.
#5 Tiemouye Bakayoko - AC Milan
Having impressed significantly in Monaco’s fairytale 2016/2017 season, Chelsea were convinced to pay £40 million for Bakayoko’s services in the summer of 2017.
The Blues were coming off the back of their record-breaking Premier League triumph in Conte’s first season and Bakayoko’s arrival brought much optimism to the Stamford Bridge faithful. It was believed that he would make a perfect partnership in the middle with compatriot N’golo Kante.
However, things did not go according to plan, as he struggled horribly for form, failing to make even the most basic of passes, while his first touch and control drew particular ire, with the nadir coming against Watford in a 4-1 loss where he had a nightmare 30 minutes on the field which culminated in him receiving his marching orders.
His underperformances continued throughout his debut season at Chelsea, with his woeful showing in the final day 3-0 defeat away to Newcastle being the final straw that broke the Camel’s back.
Bakayoko was loaned to AC Milan at the start of the current season for €5 million with an option to make the move permanent for €35 million. After struggling initially to stake his claim in the Rossoneri squad, the Frenchman has seen a dramatic upturn in his form of late and has been a major contributor to Gennaro Gattuso’s men’s recent surge up the Serie A table.
#4 Fikayo Tomori - Derby County
Fikayo Tomori is a 21-year-old defender who plays for Derby County on loan from Chelsea. He joined the Chelsea youth academy in 2005 as an 8-year-old and progressed through the ranks until he underwent a loan transfer to Brighton and Hove Albion in 2016.
Further loan spells have been taken in at Hull City and Derby County and his performances for The Rams under Frank Lampard have drawn special praise from fans all over the world.
With Gary Cahill’s contract running down at the end of the season and David Luiz approaching the tail end of his career, it is not without reason to suggest that Tomori could be the future of Chelsea’s defence.
#3 Michy Batshuayi - Crystal Palace
Batshuayi was signed by Chelsea in the summer of 2016 having impressed for Marseille in the French League, but the Belgian struggled to transform his form to the Premier League, failing to win the trust of Antonio Conte and losing his first team shirt in the process.
A loan transfer to Dortmund followed and despite starting life well in Germany, the board of BVB were not convinced to make the move permanent.
Another loan move to Valencia followed and after just half a season at the Mestalla, he has returned to the Premier League with Crystal Palace (also on loan).
Chelsea fans would forever remember him as the man who scored the title-clinching goal in the 2016/2017 Premier League season, but the current transfer ban on Chelsea means the 25-year-old has a chance to further cement his legacy by returning and taking the club to new heights.
#2 Kurt Zouma - Everton
Kurt Zouma was one of the most promising youngsters in the Chelsea squad during Mourinho’s second spell in charge and was a regular fixture in the heart of defence until a serious ACL tear suffered against Manchester United in February 2016 ruled him out for the next nine months.
The injury cost him his place in the team, prompting loans to Stoke City and Everton respectively.
The 24-year-old has rediscovered his form at Goodison Park, leading many to believe Everton are in the process of making his loan move permanent.
However, Chelsea’s transfer ban could affect their willingness to let him go, with reports emanating that The Blues are looking at the prospect of recalling him back from his loan spell.
This has understandably caused some concern among fans of The Toffees over the Frenchman’s possible departure which is a testament to how much of an impact he has made on Merseyside in the last one year.
#1 Tammy Abraham - Aston Villa
Another player on this list who spent the entirety of his developmental career in the Chelsea youth setup, Tammy Abraham joined Chelsea in 2004 as a 7-year-old and was highly praised for his finishing abilities and holdup play.
Like most of his teammates, Tammy was loaned out to Bristol City to garner experience, scoring goals for fun in the Championship and breaking Moussa Dembele’s record for most goals scored in the Championship era by a teenager in the process.
He was the club’s top scorer with 23 Championship goals which saw him finish the season as the second highest goalscorer in the division (behind Chris Wood of Leeds).
Tammy Abraham’s performances saw him named Bristol City’s Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year as well as Top scorer awards, which saw him become the first player in the club’s history to scoop all three awards in the same season.
The 21-year-old’s displays saw him sign a new long-term deal with Chelsea in July 2017 and later that day he joined Swansea on a loan deal.
However, the lanky forward was unable to transfer his form to the Premier League, as it proved a step too far for him and he was powerless to stop Swansea’s relegation at the end of the season.
Tammy Abraham was loaned out to Championship side Aston Villa at the start of the season and he has continued with his good form and has broken a number of Villa records along the way.
In November last year, he became the first Aston Villa player to score four goals in a match after scoring four goals in a 5-5 draw with Nottingham Forest (he was also the first player in the 21st century to score 20 goals in a season when he converted in the 3-3 draw against Sheffield United) and on 26 January became the first player since Pongo Warring to score in seven consecutive home games for the club.
Tammy Abraham currently has 20 goals in the Championship this season and with Chelsea short of backup options to Gonzalo Higuain, the England international could become a mainstay in The Blues’ first team.
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