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As if not being able to sign any new players is a big enough challenge, newly appointed Chelsea manager Frank Lampard faces another key problem ahead of the new season in the form of the number of non-home-grown players in his squad.
That is because, under UEFA rules, clubs playing in the Champions League may include no more than 17 foreign players in their squad for the competition, whilst the remaining 8 spots are reserved for those regarded as home-grown – either born in Britain, or who have come through the club’s academy system.
Chelsea have a surfeit of foreign players, with the number boosted by the summer arrival of Christian Pulisic, and the decision to turn the loan of Matteo Kovačić into a permanet deal.
The club may, therefore, be looking to slim down their Foreign League contingent, either by sales, or through loan moves before their Champions League squad has to be finalised.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.