The agent of one of Chelsea's stars has claimed his client is "trapped" after new sanctions imposed by the UK government are likely to impact the Blues' transfer dealings.
Roman Abramovich has been blocked from selling the club, at least for the time being, after his relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin came under intense scrutiny in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Blues have been severely damaged by the news that their owner will have his assets frozen, as confirmed by a club statement released on Thursday afternoon.
Though the club have been given a sporting licence to continue trading, they are currently unable to buy and sell players or negotiate contracts, or sell matchday tickets and merchandise.
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The fact Chelsea are unable to buy or sell players is expected to seriously harm their on-field prospects, while the agent of one unnamed player looking to leave the club has bemoaned the ruling.
As per Get French Football News, the agent of a French-speaking player texted the account and said: "How can they ban the club from selling players?
"Surely there are employment law implications for players who were due to leave now essentially being trapped?"
The news leaves Blues boss Thomas Tuchel with plenty of problems given he could see a number of crucial first-team stars walk away for free without having the chance to offer them an extension.
Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta are just three regulars that are now expected to leave Stamford Bridge given their respective contracts all expire in June of this year.
While the sanctions are currently only in place until May 30, it would leave the club with very little turnaround time when it came to sorting the potential extensions of all three.
The restrictions also mean fans who are not already season-ticket holders are currently unable to attend games, while the club shop outside Stamford Bridge has also been forced to close for the time being.
Culture secretary Nadine Dorries took to Twitter to offer some clarity on the knock-on effects of the news.
"To ensure the club can continue to compete and operate we are issuing a special licence that will allow fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend matches while, crucially, depriving Abramovich of benefiting from his ownership of the club," Dorries explained.
"I know this brings some uncertainty, but the Government will work with the league and clubs to keep football being played while ensuring sanctions hit those intended.
"Football clubs are cultural assets and the bedrock of our communities. We're committed to protecting them."
