Chelsea set to ask to be exempt from Premier League spending rules after lost income under Abramovich sanctions

• Chelsea £600m in last two windows
• Many wondering about FFP breaches
• Blues to request exemption from PL spending rules

WHAT HAPPENED? Chelsea have splashed more than £600 million ($723m) in the last two transfer windows on 17 new players, including eight in January. The Blues have come under plenty of scrutiny for their spending habits, but they are planning on asking for an exemption from the Premier League's spending rules after previous owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government last year, according to the Daily Mail.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The measures were imposed due to the oligarch's links to Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in February 2022, with Chelsea punished as a result. That lost income has put them at risk of a breach after the Blues posted a loss of £153m ($184m) in their financial accounts for the year ending 2021, with Premier League clubs only permitted to make a loss of £105m ($125.5m) over any three-year period.

AND WHAT'S MORE: While clubs were given some leeway due to the affects of the pandemic, Chelsea will further argue they were unable to make money during the three-month period that it operated under sanctions. It is unclear how the Premier League will react, and Chelsea will still be under scrutiny from UEFA, who placed the club on the Financial Fair Play watchlist late last year.

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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA? The Blues have signed a raft of new players, but they need to find a way for them all to gel as their new-look side drew 0-0 to Fulham on Friday night. Manager Graham Potter has a week to work with his squad before they face West Ham on February 11.