Chelsea's attempts to sign Raphinha from Leeds United were dealt a blow earlier this year when club owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government. The Russian had his assets frozen after being adjudged to have kept a close relationship with Vladimir Putin, something Abramovich has always denied.
Nevertheless, the sanctions stuck and Chelsea were suddenly limited in what they could do on a day-to-day basis. While a special license was granted to continue the payment of players and staff, all transfer and contract negotiations were halted immediately.
Thomas Tuchel has already bemoaned those restrictions as a reason for the Blues losing Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid, with the centre-back set to move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer in the summer. Andreas Christensen is likely to follow suit after also failing to agree terms on a new deal.
