Chelsea agents paid before Abramovich sanctions, PL eyes NFT partner, Xavi tempts Torre, Norton-Cuffy offer – The Athletic
Before Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Newcastle, technical director Petr Cech said he “didn’t have the answers” about whether the club could pay club staff.
Chelsea have more than 1,000 employees who face uncertain futures after spending was limited by the UK government. However, one group of people seemingly unaffected by the restrictions so far are player agents.
Chelsea typically make commission payments biannually, with intermediaries ordinarily being paid in September and February.
It is believed the most recent instalments were deposited with the Football Association, as is standard procedure, only days before Roman Abramovich was sanctioned on March 10.
Data released by the FA in February 2021 showed no Premier League club paid more in agent fees than Chelsea, who made £35 million of payments over the previous 12 months.
Premier League finds NFT partner
The Premier League has decided on a company called ConsenSys for an official NFT partnership and is also considering Dapper Labs, a firm that works with the NBA, The Athletic can reveal.
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are a form of digital asset based on blockchain technology, which underpins cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Many other top football leagues have NFT partnerships but the Premier League has so far stayed clear.
To advocates, they are the latest iteration of sports collectables, like trading cards and clothing.
