UEFA are acting on Chelsea's massive January spending spree by 'closing' loophole

UEFA will reportedly close a 'loophole' Chelsea managed to use by handing out long-term contracts in the January transfer window.

The Blues have signed an astonishing six players this month. David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Benoit Badiashile, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke have all joined permanently, while Joao Felix is on loan from Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is desperate to back manager Graham Potter after a horrendous start to the season, which sees the club 10th in the Premier League. How they've managed to spend this much is down to the spread of the payments.

Mudryk, for example, signed the longest contract in English football history when he put pen to paper on an eight-and-a-half-year deal. That means his £80 million fee will be calculated at £ 9.41 million by UEFA's FFP calculations.

That will change in the coming months, according to the Times. European football's governing body will roll out a five-year maximum time limit for a transfer fee to be paid. The new policy is set to be introduced before the summer transfer window.

FIFA regulations state that contracts should be a maximum of five years unless a country's law says they can be longer. Currently, there are no restrictions in the United Kingdom.

Chelsea will not be prevented from spreading the cost of payments for players they've already signed.

Datro Fofana and Badiashile are on seven-and-a-half-year and six-and-a-half-year deals. Wesley Fofana, who arrived from Leicester City in the summer, is on a seven-year deal.

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"It is simply shifting a problem to the future. Either a club can get stuck with a player on a high salary that they cannot sell, or if they sell him after three or four years they will not realise much profit [in accounting terms] because a lot of his transfer fee has not been amortised."

Potter admitted earlier this month that Chelsea's issues can't be fixed by dipping into the market at every chance.

Chelsea have been ravaged by injury with nine first-team players out right now. Among those are N'Golo Kante, who hasn't played since August, and standout performer Reece James.

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Potter also said he's not had the final say when it comes to incomings. He explained following Saturday's 0-0 draw with Liverpool: "I don’t think it’s as simple as saying they’re mine.

"For the head coach, it’s very difficult to also have command over these targets and have a list of players that are 'yours'.

"I think my job is to support the club, which is a recruitment team, ownership group, whether it’s transfers, daily environment, or winning matches.

"It’s a club, we’re trying to win together as a club. Whilst I have an input on everything, I’m not the guy that sits in a room and decides everything."