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Following the sanctions imposed on owner Roman Abramovich, there are fears that the club could become toxic in the eyes of current and prospective players, even if the financial uncertainty surrounding its future are resolved.
As things stand, under the special licence under which the club now operates, Chelsea is under a transfer embargo, and cannot buy or sell players. It also means that it is unable to negotiate contract with existing staff, which would appear to end any hopes that they might have of securing new deals for Antonio Rüdiger, Andreas Christensen, and César Azpilicueta.
But it goes further than that, with many outside the club revolted by the insistence of Chelsea fans to continue to sign the name of Abramovich, even whilst the steel he has helped supply continues to be used in the Russian tanks which are helping to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians.
All of which makes Chelsea a much less attractive proposition for anybody seeking a summer move – even if the club is able to operate normally by then.
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.