Why PSG will think twice about dealing with Chelsea’s ‘Class A circus’ again

Ziyech was due to move to PSG on loan for the rest of the season, but the transfer was cancelled after agreement documents were received too late to beat the 11.0pm transfer deadline and an appeal was turned down.

Chelsea are blaming the breakdown on a technology glitch on their side, but PSG are furious over the matter with sources claiming the club feel disrespected and describing the process as a ‘Class A circus.’

Sources have also said that PSG will think twice before dealing with Chelsea in the future and have rejected the London club’s version of events.

Reports in France have claimed the wrong documents were sent three times by Chelsea, while there has also been a suggestion that Chelsea simply took their eye off the ball while they completed the British record signing of Enzo Fernandez.

That is supported by PSG, who are adamant they received unsigned and incorrect documents before finally receiving the correct signed version just after the 11.0pm deadline.

Ziyech, who was waiting in Paris to be told the move had gone through, is said to be devastated over the breakdown and PSG sources also believe Chelsea have been disrespectful to their own player over the matter.

Chelsea reject accusations they sent over incorrect documents three times or that the signing of Fernandez in any way stopped them finalising Ziyech’s move.

Club insiders claim a copy of the loan agreement was sent to PSG in advance of the deadline. According to Chelsea’s version of events, the French club then sent it back requesting the Premier League club sign it, which they did and believed they had emailed it back to PSG in plenty of time.

It later transpired, however, the email had not gone through due to a glitch. PSG later sent the agreement again and Chelsea again signed it and returned it at exactly 11.0pm which was ultimately too late. PSG have insisted they did not receive the correct signed document until 11.03pm and immediately lodged the contract one minute later.

PSG submitted an appeal with French football’s governing body, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), but that was rejected yesterday and Ziyech has been told he cannot move to the Ligue 1 club. The LFP ruled there was an “unjustifiable delay” in sending the documents to them.

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter now faces the tough task of reintegrating the Morocco international back into his squad.

PSG have not completely ruled out reigniting their interest in Ziyech in the summer or dealing with Chelsea again in the future, but have made it clear they will think twice before doing so.

Chelsea formally announced the signing of Fernandez yesterday and the club are facing a Champions League headache over which of their big-money January signings to register for the knockout stages of the competition.

The Argentinian became Chelsea’s eighth signing of the January transfer window, although right-back Malo Gusto will not move to Stamford Bridge until the end of the season.

Brazilian teenager Andrey Santos is yet to receive a work permit, but that still leaves six new signings battling for three Champions League places.

Clubs are allowed to register a maximum of three new players for the knockout stages of the competition, which means Chelsea must choose between Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk, on-loan Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana.

Fofana and Madueke, who cost a combined £40 million, are almost certain to miss out, but that still Potter having to pick three from the other four.

Central defender Badiashile, signed for £35m from Monaco, started Chelsea’s last two games and impressed, but with Wesley Fofana returning from injury, Potter may feel he has enough cover in defence to cope without the 21-year-old in Europe.

That would leave Fernandez, Mudryk and Felix as the three new players in Potter’s Champions League squad, with Chelsea scheduled to start their knockout campaign with a last-16 trip to Borussia Dortmund on February 15.