LIVE Transfer Talk: Paul Pogba set to leave Man United for Real Madrid, Juventus?

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is closed, but click here for all the deals. Transfer Talk will continue to scour the world's media and set correspondents loose to see what's on the agenda for the summer.

TOP STORY: Pogba set to leave Man United?

With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli, we show you a step-by-step guide to a transfer.

FIFA have banned Chelsea for a period of two transfer windows. But what did they do wrong and how will the punishment play out?

FC Exclusives

Just when you thought you were out of rumours about Paul Pogba leaving Manchester United, they drag you back in.

One might have thought that an upturn in form, coupled with Jose Mourinho's departure and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival, would lead to Pogba finally being happy in Manchester.

Not so, says AS, which makes the massive claim that the France midfielder wants to leave in the summer after three seasons at Old Trafford.

AS reports that "his agent, Mino Raiola, a specialist in hard bargaining, is already working on finding his client a new club." And, of course, Real Madrid and Juventus are ahead of the chasing pack.

Real would appear to be Pogba's first choice, given his recent comments, but Juve are working out how they can afford to bring him back. Welcome to the saga of the summer, folks.

LIVE BLOG

13.59 GMT: Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has said reports that Juventus want to sign the Magpies' Slovakia international goalkeeper Martin Dubravka are not a surprise to him. "Obviously they can talk about him, but any team could see him as a good keeper," Benitez told the Chronicle.

13.47 GMT: PSG star Neymar may have been linked with Real Madrid or a return to Barcelona, but he is in talks about a new deal with the French champions, his father has told UOL.

"Neymar is in the second year of his contract, so he has three more to run. We are already discussing an extension with PSG," Neymar Snr said. "The probability that he does not leave is great."

13.23 GMT: Mega-money bid alert: France Football reports that Real Madrid "have made Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe their number one transfer target and will offer €280m for him, claiming Madrid president Florentino Perez has approved the move.

So maybe Bayern Munich's Uli Hoeness was right when he said: "I would pay €100m for Kylian Mbappe, but for that I would only get his left tibia."

13.07 GMT: Eden Hazard is not the only Chelsea player to be linked with a move to Real Madrid, with reports suggesting that midfielder N'Golo Kante is also a target for Zinedine Zidane. But the London Evening Standard reports Kante as saying: "I am at Chelsea, and I still have aims here -- what is said elsewhere is not important."

12.44 GMT: As Brendan Rodgers prepares for his first transfer window in charge of Leicester, the city's Mercury newspaper reports that Getafe defender Djene Dakonam is among his potential targets. It says the Foxes would have to pay £30m to trigger his release clause.

12.17 GMT: Bayern Munich full-back Rafinha has dismissed reports that he has agreed terms with Flamengo Rio de Janeiro, saying on Instagram that he will only announce his next move once his Bayern contract has expired in the summer.

11.48 GMT: France striker Olivier Giroud has told Telefoot he doesn't believe this season will be his last at Chelsea, but said he wants more playing time and going back to Ligue 1 is "a possibility," with Lyon his club of choice.

11.25 GMT: Arsenal are reported to be interested in Charlton midfielder Joe Aribo, but Football London says the League One playoff contenders remain hopeful that he could yet agree a new contract.

11.02 GMT: L'Equipe claims PSV's 17-year-old Belgian sensation Heritier Deyonge could join Lyon rather than PSG. The full-back has impressed at youth level and is expected to make the step up this summer.

10.35 GMT: Benfica want to increase the release clause in Joao Felix's contract in order to fend off interest from a number of clubs, president Luis Filipe Vieira has said.

Felix, who has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, was promoted to Benfica's first team in the summer and has been linked with Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

"Right now we are not interested in selling Joao Felix, and soon we will increase his release clause," Vieira told Tuttosport. "He is one of the best products to have emerged from Portuguese football since Cristiano Ronaldo."

10.07 GMT: Barcelona are optimistic that they will win the race to sign Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt this summer, sources close to the club have told ESPN FC, and Sport claims they have a plan to tempt the Dutch club into a sale.

Barca are reportedly willing to loan 19-year-old French defender Jean-Clair Todibo next season as part of a €60m offer that would see De Ligt arrive.

09.50 GMT: Paul Pogba may be taking the headlines but Marca reckons Zinedine Zidane has another No. 1 target in mind: Liverpool forward Sadio Mane.

The report mentions a fee of €85m but, given that Philippe Coutinho cost €160m when he was sold to Barcelona, they might want to consider saving up a bit more cash.

09.25 GMT: A Bola reports that Benfica are interested in Inter Milan defender Joao Miranda. The Brazilian has not signed a contract extension with Inter and becomes a free agent in the summer.

Benfica have reportedly joined the race to sign the 34-year-old, also a reported target for Monaco. But A Bola says, Miranda wants to continue to play in Europe for a few more years before returning to Brazil to play for Flamengo.

09.12 GMT: PSG are still looking for a few new faces and Il Mattino reckons Napoli's Allan, who would cost around €75m, remains a target.

Corriere dello Sport, meanwhile, says PSG are keeping tabs on Fiorentina's Jordan Veretout.

08.40 GMT: Confronted with a report in the Sun which said Jadon Sancho's agent, Emeka Obasi, had met Manchester United representatives, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc told Bild: "I have no knowledge of that. And it's not relevant."

Dortmund's stance has been they won't sell Sancho this summer, but an offer in the €130m region could break their resistance.

play

1:48

ESPN FC's Gab Marcotti rates the likelihood Eden Hazard and Kylian Mbappe arrive and Gareth Bale departs Real Madrid this summer.

PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd): Zidane closes door on Asensio move

In a setback to Jurgen Klopp's plans, the Mirror reports that returning Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane appears to have squashed any chance of Liverpool -- or anyone else -- signing midfielder Marco Asensio.

Asensio had been out of form under previous Madrid bosses Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari, with the club seeming keen to offload the 23-year-old, but Zidane appears to get the best out of him and has said he sees him as "fundamental to the team."

Asensio won two Champions League trophies under Zidane and played the full 90 minutes of the second game of the coach's return against Celta Vigo.

De Ligt to Camp Nou?

Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt has been linked with top clubs on an almost daily basis, and now it looks as though his future is closer to being concluded.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is travelling to Holland to seal a deal for the 19-year-old centre-back, according to The Sun.

The news will disappoint Liverpool, who had been looking to partner De Ligt with his compatriot Virgil van Dijk at Anfield.

Barca have reportedly made a bid of £51 million, having already added Frenkie de Jong to their ranks in January.

Bartomeu had previously said that De Ligt was on manager Ernesto Valverde's wish list, saying the Netherlands international's name was "on the table."

Tap-ins

- Juventus are reportedly contemplating replacing their entire back line.

With Alex Sandro expected to leave in the summer, Marcelo remains the preferred replacement at left-back. However, Juve are also eyeing up moves for Alex Grimaldo and Emerson Palmieri, according to Calciomercato.

- Speculation about the future of France striker Antoine Griezmann continues, with Barca defender Samuel Umtiti telling Marca there would be plenty of room for his compatriot in their strike force.

Read More

Transfer trouble, military parents are frustrated with student's education

Military families face student transfer issues, 10 News spoke with SDUSD on the issue.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Military families sent 10News letters discussing a myriad of issues their students faced when they transferred from out of state into San Diego Unified School District.

One student, who didn't want to be identified, sent a letter that read in part, "I would dread getting up everyday knowing that this was going to be a continuous process," explaining he didn't get the same treatment in an assistance program here, compared to where he previously lived.

Another letter discusses a woman's special needs children, "It took over a week to even get my children placed in classrooms to start school with no updates as to why. After calling several times we were able to get placements for our children. I know that special needs children have to be placed in certain classrooms and things like that, but for it to take that long is a little excessive." She continued stating in the letter, "two of our children are waitlisted (with no foreseeable date of service) for speech therapy with a letter stating that it is because there is a "lack of available therapists" in the area."

Erika Bradley said her daughter had trouble transferring AP and Honors credits, and once she was pulled out to be home schooled, she was told her daughter couldn't participate on the Varsity Soccer team.

"It put her in a tailspin... We had many instances of panic attacks," she said.

"We have upwards of 8,000 military dependent students within our district," Jennifer Coronel, Program Manager of Children and Youth in Transition at SDUSD said. That's about 7% of the district's student population.

On SDUSD's website, you can find numerous resources for military families.

The district gets anywhere from $8,000,000 to $10,000,100 in military student funding per year. "We have four Intervention Counselors that work out of the Department of Children and Youth in Transition and all of them have a specific area within San Diego Unified and assist with all matters related to military students," Coronel said. She says rules and maybe even federal laws need to change to make a smoother transition for military students.

Bradley says many military families pull their students for homeschooling to get around transfer issues, but Bradley says she wants more oversight to ensure military families are taken care of in the future.

Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Read More

Pulisic wants foes to fear US soccer team

DAVENPORT, Fla. — Christian Pulisic has a vision of a transformed U.S. soccer team, a red-white-and-blue power that gives opponents sleepless nights similar the nightmares that plague players on the eve of facing Brazil or Germany.

"I want them to fear them like a big team," he said Tuesday, quickly acknowledging "obviously, we still feel we have a long way to."

The midfielder from Hershey, Pa., is with the national team this week for the first time since he became the most expensive American player. Chelsea agreed in January to buy Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund for 64 million euros (then $73 million), then loaned him back to the German club for the rest of the season.

In their first training camp with new coach Gregg Berhalter, a trio of emerging 20-year-olds could start together for the first time: Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.

"There's a lot of things that we talk about, that we need to be leaders, we need to show everybody what we're about," Adams said. "A lot of times I feel that in the U.S. we talk about how many good young players we have and stuff like that, and there's a lot of players that end up falling off or not being heard about again. And you don't want to be one of those players."

Pulisic was 17 when he made his Bundesliga debut in 2016 and became a regular with the national team. When the U.S. lost at Trinidad and Tobago in October 2017, failing to qualify for the World Cup, he was the image of defeat. Pulisic crouched on the field, steadied his body with his right hand and covered his face with his left. The emotional pain was intense.

"Ever since that happened, it makes you want to be in a World Cup that much more," he said. "So, yeah, definitely it motivates me."

A regular with Dortmund the past two seasons, he struggled with a torn calf muscle last fall and a thigh injury this winter. He lost his starting job to 18-year-old English winger Jadon Sancho.

Pulisic's start against Hertha Berlin on Saturday was just his sixth in the league this season, but he scored as a sub against Stuttgart on March 9, his second league goal this season and first since September. He played in both Champions League round of 16 matches against Tottenham, though he struggled to be effective in the first leg.

"I feel very confident right now," he said. "I'm feeling very good. I feel like I'm at the top of my game. So I want to play as much as I can over there over in Dortmund. I'm not there to just finish out my time. I want to fight and they know that."

Chelsea wanted to acquire Pulisic during the January transfer window because it anticipated discipline from FIFA, which in February banned the club from signing players for the next two transfer windows. FIFA concluded the team violated regulations on the registration of young players, a penalty the Chelsea has appealed.

Pulisic long dreamed of playing in the Premier League, the most watched soccer league on U.S. television. Chelsea needs a playmaking midfielder in case Eden Hazard leaves this summer.

Knowing his time at Dortmund will end in two months does not make Pulisic feel awkward.

"My teammates are all professionals," he said. "They understand how this business works. I wanted to move and they're all very happy for me and the club is, as well."

After starting the season with 12 wins and three draws in its first 15 matches, Dortmund has two losses and three ties in its last nine games. After opening a seven-point lead in early February, it is tied with Bayern Munich atop the Bundesliga at 60 points with eight matches left, in second place on goal difference.

Dortmund last won the title in 2012 and is seeking to end Bayern's streak of six straight championships.

"We started off so strong, and unfortunately I've had some injuries kind of on and off throughout the season, which has been a low point for me," Pulisic said. "I've been working on that and trying to keep myself healthy for the rest of season. ... Obviously I'm super-excited to be there the rest the season and fight for the title."

While Dortmund uses Pulisic as a wide player, Berhalter envisions him as an attacking central midfielder, paired with McKennie.

"I don't mind where I play on the field," Pulisic said. "I just like to be in an attacking area where I can create and help the team score goals because that's where I feel I am at my best. And so I'm happy. I like the style that he has, and I like that position a lot."

Read More

Transfer news and rumours LIVE: Man City close to summer Saul deal

Barcelona and Ajax have always had a good relationship with each other, but recent events have seen the teams open a dialogue over an even closer bond regarding transfers, according to Sport.

The report claims that Frenkie de Jong's move - and the ongoing talks for Matthijs de Ligt - have prompted the clubs to consider giving each other first refusal on upcoming talents.

In Barca's case, they would be offered any breakthrough players from the Dutch side's academy, while Ajax would be given the pick of La Masia as the Catalan side look to prepare their own hown-grown talents for European football.

The proposal is said to be being looked at favourably by both sides and the signing of De Ligt could be the final push to get it over the line.

Read More

LIVE Transfer Talk: Dortmund to sell Sancho to Man United, buy Chelsea's Hudson-Odoi?

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is closed, but click here for all the deals. Transfer Talk will continue to scour the world's media and set correspondents loose to see what's on the agenda for the summer.

TOP STORY: Dortmund to sell Sancho, buy Hudson-Odoi

With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli, we show you a step-by-step guide to a transfer.

FIFA have banned Chelsea for a period of two transfer windows. But what did they do wrong and how will the punishment play out?

FC Exclusives

Promising Borussia Dortmund attacker Jadon Sancho could be heading to Old Trafford this summer, as The Express say that his former club Manchester City did not include any clause on the player preventing him from joining another club when he was sold for just £8m back in 2017.

City do have a buy-back clause on Sancho, but if United are willing to spend up to £80m then there's nothing the blue half of Manchester could do about it.

Dortmund meanwhile have their own plans for when Sancho departs, according to the Mirror, namely to sign another young Englishman who has been making waves: Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi.

The winger has been the subject of a few bids from Bayern Munich with his contract running down and no plans to extend it. But if Dortmund can go higher than £35m, they would land ANOTHER teenager superstar and stick the boot into their main rivals in one fell swoop.

LIVE BLOG

09.44 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain left-back Juan Bernat expects teammates Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to remain at the club next season.

"Rumours are always going to be there but I think and I hope that they will remain," Bernat told Superdeporte. "The two are under contract with PSG and we trust they will remain with us a long time because they are very important players that help us a lot.The project that we have is a very exciting one and I hope it remains the same."

09.17 GMT: Renato Sanches says he is "not happy" at Bayern Munich and could leave the club he joined as a European champion in 2016.

"I work a lot, but I am not allowed to play," the Portugal international told kicker. "I want to play more, maybe at another club. I must give thought to this now."

With Bayern coach Niko Kovac playing Thiago Alcantara, Javi Martinez and Leon Goretzka over him in his 4-2-3-1 formation, there is not much room for the 21-year-old after his ill-fated loan with Swansea last summer.

08.28 GMT: Gazzetta dello Sport report that PSG remain in the hunt for Fiorentina's Federico Chiesa. Juventus are also keen and could raise some funds by selling winger Douglas Costa.

08.00 GMT: Mauro Icardi's standoff with Inter Milan appears set to end amid reports that he will return to training with the club on Thursday.

The Argentine forward has not been on the field in more than a month, since being stripped off his captaincy amid protracted contract negotiations. The 26-year-old Icardi has said he has a knee injury, although the club has said that tests did not reveal any particular problem.

A meeting between Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta and Paolo Nicoletti, Icardi's lawyer, on Wednesday apparently resolved the differences.

After the meeting, Icardi made three Instagram posts featuring black-and-white photos of him wearing Inter's shirt and the captain's armband.

PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd) Spurs enter tussle for Gomes

Discussions between Everton and parent club Barcelona are ongoing when it comes to the long-term future of loan star Andre Gomes, but now a third party appears to have now entered the equation. While Everton have been benefiting from the midfielder's services this season, Tottenham are now thought to be interested in securing the signature of the 25-year-old for the 2019-20 campaign and beyond, according to The Sun.

The prospect of Spurs being able to offer more Premier League football, combined with Champions League action and a shiny new stadium, could be enough to thwart the Toffees' plans and tempt Gomes away from Merseyside to the capital.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Gomes kept his cards close to his chest on the subject of his future, adding that he's enjoying his football again and wants "to give the best performances" he can.

Richarlison's price too high

While on the subject of Goodison Park, another man who could be on the way out is Brazilian star Richarlison, if reports from MilanNews are to be believed.

That's if an agreement can be made on an appropriate transfer fee between Everton and AC Milan. The Italian side have expressed a longstanding interest in the forward, stretching back to his time at Brazilian outfit Fluminese. However, Milan aren't willing to splash as much as £60 million on Richarlison, which is the fee the Toffees have put on the table.

Richarlison signed for Everton from Watford for almost half of that figure, £35m, last summer. With Everton having won just two of their last 11 matches, and Milan potentially being able to offer European football next season, the San Siro could provide a suitable backdrop for the 21-year-old.

Moreno to find game-time in Lazio?

Out-of-favour Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno might be on his way to Lazio in the summer, according to The Independent.

The Spaniard would join former Liverpool teammates Lucas Leiva and Luis Alberto should the deal go through. Game time has been sporadic for Moreno this season thanks in no small part to the magnificent form of Scottish international Andrew Robertson.

The Independent understands that Lazio are close to signing a pre-contract agreement with Moreno, but they may have to compete with AS Roma for his signature.

Tap-ins

- Inter Milan are inquiring for the services of Valencia's Rodrigo Moreno, according to Marca, citing Corriere dello Sport. The Brazilian-born Spain international is under contract until 2022 and has a €120m buyout clause, but the Serie A side see him as a way to bolster to their attack.

- Tanguy Ndombele could be bound for Paris, if you believe what the Lyon president has to say, according to The Mirror. Ndombele is one of European football's hottest prospects, with a host of clubs falling over themselves for his signature. And supremo Jean-Michel Aulas has suggested he'd sell to moneybags Paris Saint-Germain if they match his £90m estimation.

Read More

Christian Pulisic wants opponents to fear U.S. soccer team, knows it will take time

DAVENPORT, Fla. — Christian Pulisic has a vision of a transformed U.S. soccer team, a red-white-and-blue power that gives opponents sleepless nights similar the nightmares that plague players on the eve of facing Brazil or Germany.

"I want them to fear them like a big team," he said Tuesday, quickly acknowledging "obviously, we still feel we have a long way to."

The midfielder from Hershey, Pennsylvania, is with the national team this week for the first time since he became the most expensive American player. Chelsea agreed in January to buy Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund for 64 million euros (then $73 million), then loaned him back to the German club for the rest of the season.

In their first training camp with new coach Gregg Berhalter, a trio of emerging 20-year-olds could start together for the first time: Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.

"There's a lot of things that we talk about, that we need to be leaders, we need to show everybody what we're about," Adams said. "A lot of times I feel that in the U.S. we talk about how many good young players we have and stuff like that, and there's a lot of players that end up falling off or not being heard about again. And you don't want to be one of those players."

Pulisic was 17 when he made his Bundesliga debut in 2016 and became a regular with the national team. When the U.S. lost at Trinidad and Tobago in October 2017, failing to qualify for the World Cup, he was the image of defeat. Pulisic crouched on the field, steadied his body with his right hand and covered his face with his left. The emotional pain was intense.

"Ever since that happened, it makes you want to be in a World Cup that much more," he said. "So, yeah, definitely it motivates me."

A regular with Dortmund the past two seasons, he struggled with a torn calf muscle last fall and a thigh injury this winter. He lost his starting job to 18-year-old English winger Jadon Sancho.

Pulisic's start against Hertha Berlin on Saturday was just his sixth in the league this season, but he scored as a sub against Stuttgart on March 9, his second league goal this season and first since September. He played in both Champions League round of 16 matches against Tottenham, though he struggled to be effective in the first leg.

"I feel very confident right now," he said. "I'm feeling very good. I feel like I'm at the top of my game. So I want to play as much as I can over there over in Dortmund. I'm not there to just finish out my time. I want to fight and they know that."

Chelsea wanted to acquire Pulisic during the January transfer window because it anticipated discipline from FIFA, which in February banned the club from signing players for the next two transfer windows. FIFA concluded the team violated regulations on the registration of young players, a penalty the Chelsea has appealed.

Pulisic long dreamed of playing in the Premier League, the most watched soccer league on U.S. television. Chelsea needs a playmaking midfielder in case Eden Hazard leaves this summer.

Knowing his time at Dortmund will end in two months does not make Pulisic feel awkward.

"My teammates are all professionals," he said. "They understand how this business works. I wanted to move and they're all very happy for me and the club is, as well."

After starting the season with 12 wins and three draws in its first 15 matches, Dortmund has two losses and three ties in its last nine games. After opening a seven-point lead in early February, it is tied with Bayern Munich atop the Bundesliga at 60 points with eight matches left, in second place on goal difference.

Dortmund last won the title in 2012 and is seeking to end Bayern's streak of six straight championships.

"We started off so strong, and unfortunately I've had some injuries kind of on and off throughout the season, which has been a low point for me," Pulisic said. "I've been working on that and trying to keep myself healthy for the rest of season. … Obviously I'm super-excited to be there the rest the season and fight for the title."

While Dortmund uses Pulisic as a wide player, Berhalter envisions him as an attacking central midfielder, paired with McKennie.

"I don't mind where I play on the field," Pulisic said. "I just like to be in an attacking area where I can create and help the team score goals because that's where I feel I am at my best. And so I'm happy. I like the style that he has, and I like that position a lot."

Read More

Chelsea transfer ban: Why FIFA sanctioned Blues & what is the appeal process?

Chelsea have been slapped with a two-window transfer ban and a fine by FIFA, meaning they will now have to make alternative plans when it comes to their immediate recruitment approach.

The game's world governing body announced the sanction, which relates to breaches concerning the transfer of players who are under 18, on Friday and the Premier League club are now be formulating their response.

The Stamford Bridge outfit are expected to exhaust every avenue that is available to them as they seek to challenge the decision and preserve their reputation.

So why have the sanctions been imposed and what can they do about it? Goal takes a look at how it all works.

Why have Chelsea been hit with a transfer ban?

According to FIFA, the ban is being imposed on Chelsea because the governing body found the club to be in breach of regulations relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

Specifically, the Blues were found to have breached article 19 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players in the case of 29 minors.

The club was also found to have breached article 18bis (which concerns third-party influence on clubs) in connection with two agreements that were reached concerning minors.

It is not clear which players the breaches in question are related to.

https://images.performgroup.com/di/library/GOAL/c6/ff/maurizio-sarri-chelsea-2019_15x0x4d8dlx8c126tj5q8stria.jpg?t=347753425&w=500&quality=80

As well as a ban, FIFA has issued a fine of 600,000 Swiss Francs (£460k/$600k) and the Blues have been given a period of 90 days to "regularise the situation of the minor players concerned".

Furthermore, not only have Chelsea been sanctioned by FIFA, so too have the Football Association (FA).

FIFA fined the English governing body 510,000 Swiss Francs (£390k/$510k) for breaches and imposed a six-month period in which to "address the situation".

Can Chelsea appeal the transfer ban? https://images.performgroup.com/di/library/GOAL/4d/59/chelsea-eden-hazard_1j6iodkwa68y41mmhl1jw7lbo2.jpg?t=-659383088&w=500&quality=80

Yes, Chelsea can contest the decision reached by FIFA by bringing their case before the FIFA Appeal Committee.

Indeed, the club have indicated that they will be appealing the findings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

"Chelsea FC categorically refutes the findings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and will therefore be appealing the decision," an official statement said.

"The club wishes to emphasise that it respects the important work undertaken by FIFA in relation to the protection of minors and has fully cooperated with FIFA throughout its investigation.

"Initially, Chelsea FC was charged under Articles 19.1 and 19.3 in relation to 92 players.

"We welcome the fact that FIFA has accepted that there was no breach in relation to 63 of these players, but the club is extremely disappointed that FIFA has not accepted the club's submissions in relation to the remaining 29 players.

"Chelsea FC acted in accordance with the relevant regulations and will shortly be submitting its appeal to FIFA."

While the decision of the FIFA Appeal Committee is "final and binding", should Chelsea not be satisfied with the outcome they can make a further appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

How long does an appeal take?

The duration of the appeal process varies depending on the case, but it can take up to two or three years, sometimes longer.

As you might expect, such things require a lot of paperwork and legal representations and there is a natural processing period for each step.

The club must first lodge their appeal with the FIFA Appeal Committee and, based on previous cases, it can take roughly three to four months for a decision.

After that, if a club is not satisfied with the decision of the FIFA Appeal Committee, a case can be made to bring the issue before the CAS in Switzerland.

Again, the duration of the CAS appeal process also varies, depending on the court's schedule among other things, but it will generally take a number of months.

How long will the Chelsea transfer ban last? https://images.performgroup.com/di/library/GOAL/f7/2c/maurizio-sarri-chelsea-2019_15qhdd696jso31u7ltcy3hh5pb.jpg?t=356331489&w=500&quality=80

As mentioned, the transfer ban that has been imposed on Chelsea is scheduled to last for the next two consecutive registration windows.

The windows in question are the upcoming 2019 summer window and the 2020 winter window. That means they won't be able to complete transfer deals until the summer of 2020 at the earliest.

However, in the event of an appeal process being set in motion, the ban can be temporarily suspended until the outcome of the final appeal is reached.

In effect, what that means is that clubs can buy themselves some time in which to create a contingency plan by signing players to minimise the effect of a ban.

For example, Barcelona were granted a temporary suspension of their transfer ban in 2014, which allowed them to recruit the likes of Luis Suarez, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Thomas Vermaelen.

As mentioned, Chelsea have indicated that they will be appealing the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, so the looming ban may yet be delayed.

What other clubs have had transfer bans?

Chelsea are by no means alone when it comes to this sort of breach and some of the world's biggest clubs have previously been implicated.

Liga giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid were all sanctioned by FIFA for similar regulation breaches, with the governing body imposing similar two-window bans.

However, while Chelsea's breaches concern the cases of 29 minors, the cases of the Spanish clubs involved many more players. In the case of Barcelona, 31 minors were investigated and Real Madrid's case saw the investigation of 70 minors. However, Atletico's breaches involved more than double the Clasico pair combined, with 221 investigations.

Each of the cases involving the Spanish clubs took a number of years to be completed. From start to finish, Barcelona's case concluded in two years, Atletico's lasted just over three years and Real's was approaching four years.

In each of the aforementioned cases, the FIFA-imposed transfer bans were upheld, though the transfer ban was reduced to just one window in the case of Real.

Read More