Chelsea avoid Premier League punishment after financial fair play threat
Along with 14 other English top-flight owners, Chelsea have voted to close the very loophole that they ingeniously exploited. The decision relates to the maximum length of contract that can now be offered to footballers:
"Todd Boehly's side avoid action over their £400m spree
- Mail Online
Fifteen Premier League clubs - including Chelsea - have voted in favour of limiting the length of new contracts being signed by players to a maximum of five years at today's shareholders meeting.
The topic was on the agenda at today's meeting in light of Chelsea's heavy spending since Todd Boehly arrived at the club last year.
The Blues have spent £1bn over the past 18 months, but have managed to adhere to Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by handing a number of their players long-term contracts of up to eight years to spread the cost across a longer period."
Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp aims a dig at Chelsea - does the German see the Blues as a danger?
Sun Tzu said "Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak." Is Klopp having a pop at Chelsea, an old and disliked foe, whilst he believes them to be frail? Possibly. Maybe the west Londoners are just dormant at present and the former Borussia Dortmund gaffer's comments will come back to haunt him.
But what did the Reds manager actually say about CFC? Well, Klopp implied that the Merseyside club were lucky to miss out on acquiring Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia; both respectively signed for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. While the jury is still out on Caicedo's capacity as an elite midfielder, Lavia is yet to even feature for his new outfit.
Essentially, Klopp also believes that likely LFC underachiever Wataru Endo was a good signing. This was said in spite of the Japanese international captain clearly struggling with the pace and tussle of Premier League football. Liverpool have high standards, and I don't see Endo as a starting calibre midfield man at Anfield, I am afraid. Obviously talented, he appears more of a long-term squad player to me. That is, if the north England club wish to be winning the most prestigious trophies once more.