UK government lifts sanctions on Chelsea

Following the conclusion of Todd Boehly’s ownership of Chelsea, the UK government has announced that the club is no longer subject to sanctions.

Chelsea was purchased by a partnership led by LA Dodgers co-owner and investment firm Clearlake Capital on Monday, with Boehly taking over from former oligarch owner, Roman Abramovich.

Since March, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the Blues have been functioning under government-imposed sanctions. The club was effectively placed under a transfer embargo, unable to negotiate new contracts, sell tickets, and have travel costs restricted as a result of the actions.

The UK government has confirmed, however, that the takeover of Boehly means the sanctions will be withdrawn as planned. The authorities went on to say that they had made sure that Abramovich would not profit from the deal.

A statement from the government read, in part: “The club is now, no longer subject to the sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich, an individual, who has enabled (Vladimir) Putin’s brutal and barbaric invasion of Ukraine.

“Since sanctions were imposed on Abramovich on 10 March, we have worked tirelessly to ensure the club can continue to play football, while maintaining the integrity of our sanctions regime.”

After being given about £200 million to make changes, Chelsea head coach, Thomas Tuchel, can now focus on strengthening his squad. Sevilla defender, Jules Kounde, is expected to be the first player that comes to Stamford Bridge this window.