Explained: How Chelsea can still splash the cash in January to bring in new signings and not break FFP rules

Chelsea have spent over £1 billion on players since Todd Boehly bought the club in 2022, and now face FA and Premier League investigations into potential rule breaches including financial fair play. However, Chelsea's record when it comes to making profit through sales means they can afford to continue to spend.

Over the last 10 years, Chelsea have been the most successful Premier League club at generating profit from player sales. Because of that, Mauricio Pochettino's side don't need to be quite as frugal this January as some might think.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told i: "Over the last decade [Chelsea's] player sale profits — which is the figure used for Financial Fair Play/Profit and Sustainability Rules calculations — were £706m, nearly twice as much as the second most successful Big Six clubLiverpoolat £387m, andManchester Unitedhave only generated £133m. These player sales allow Chelsea some flexibility in terms of potential recruitment in the January window."

After his side lost 2-0 to Everton earlier this month, Pochettino hinted that new arrivals could be imminent. However, the coach is not expected to ask for any new additions to his squad, with several stars set to return from injury in the new year. The outcomes of any investigations into the club's finances remain to be seen.