Football news - New FIFA loan rules raise prospect of mass Chelsea player sale

Fifa’s proposals have been developed by a task force created by its football stakeholders committee as part of a wider overhaul of the transfer system. In a presentation to clubs in September the task force explained that its aim was to make the loans of players for the purpose of youth development as opposed to commercial exploitation. The latter motive has been an integral part of the Chelsea business plan for a number of years following a model established by the former sporting director Michael Emenalo. The club have recruited the best young players from all over the world and loaned them out before selling them on for huge profits. In the past five years Chelsea have generated £139 million in transfer fees by selling five players recruited as youngsters and sent out on loan — Nemanja Matic, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Ryan Bertrand and Nathan Aké — as well as making significant sums by selling on dozens of other players.