Chelsea sent €70m transfer warning as summer signings face NIGHTMARE scenario

Cameron Smith

7 Jul 2025 09:15 BST
4 min read

Chelsea must raise over €70 million in player sales this summer in order to register their new signings for next season’s Champions League, according to a bombshell report.

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The Blues have already finalised the signings of seven new players ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, however their summer arrivals may not be able to feature in Europe next term if Chelsea struggle to offload their excessive list of unwanted stars.

Current ETV

João Pedro

F, M, AM (C)

Chelsea

João Pedro

F, M, AM (C)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€55.1M - €67.3M

That is according to The Times, who report that Chelsea must raise at least €70m through sales this summer.

UEFA recently slapped Enzo Maresca’s side with a hefty fine that could reach €91m after they were found guilty of breaching European football’s financial rules.

However, the sporting punishment issued to Chelsea is arguably worse than their fine. The Blues have been informed they will be unable to register new players for their Champions League squad next year unless their “List A transfer balance is positive,” as per The Times.

Essentially, Chelsea will need to cover their spending on new signings with player sales.

The cost of registering a new signing for UEFA competitions takes into account their annual salary and their transfer fee amortised over the length of their contract (up to a maximum of five years).

As per The Times, Chelsea will therefore need to earn in excess of €70m through player sales this summer in order to register their new signings for next season’s Champions League.

© IMAGO - Christopher Nkunku is one of several players expected to leave Chelsea this summer

Chelsea’s summer transfer business

So far this summer, Chelsea have completed the signings of Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Estevao Willian, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez for a combined price of €243.8m.

The Blues also remain in the hunt for a new defender, amid interest in Ajax wonderkid Jorrel Hato, while they may pursue another attacker if Noni Madueke departs for Arsenal.

In regards to outgoings, Chelsea have only managed to sanction the sales of Bashir Humphreys to Burnley, Kepa Arrizabalaga to Arsenal and Marcus Bettinelli to Manchester City since the start of the 2025 summer transfer window.

However, they could be set to earn as much as €430m before the end of the window if they are able to sell every player currently on their transfer list for their Estimated Transfer Value (ETV).

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