Several first-team Chelsea stars are reportedly fearful of falling victim to Financial Fair Play (FFP) should the west Londoners fail to secure Champions League football.
The Blues were put on an FFP watchlist shortly following Todd Boehly's £4bn takeover in September but that failed to prevent them from splashing the cash in the January transfer window. Chelsea's lavish spending reached in excess of £300m last month, including a British record deal for Enzo Fernandez on Deadline Day.
In the eyes of FFP, clubs are permitted to spread the cost of a transfer fee across the length of a player's contract and so Graham Potter's side have effectively eight-and-a-half-years to pay off the £107m deal.
Chelsea also utilised the same regulation in the additions of Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke on long-term contracts. Only Jorginho, leaving for London rivals Arsenal in a £12m deal, departed Stamford Bridge in January.
Amid greater FFP scrutiny, The Telegraph report that the Blues are fearful they could sail close to the wind in terms of their finances and are entertaining a quick-fire way to solve their monetary worries should they breach UEFA's rules.
The hypothetical get-out clause would see the west Londoners flog their academy graduates, with clubs able to claim transfer fees in their entirety to balance the books.
Chelsea were tempted to cash in on Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the window. Gallagher was subject of a £45m bid from Everton, while Loftus-Cheek was being monitored by Newcastle United.
