FIFA have announced that Chelsea’s appeal against a transfer ban has been rejected.

The Blues were handed an embargo for two transfer windows back in February after breaches in signings relating to players under the age of 18.

Chelsea were also fined £490,000 after a FIFA investigation found they breached regulations in 29 separate cases.

The most high profile was the signing of Bertrand Traore from Auxerre back in 2013. The Burkina Faso international has subsequently been sold on to Lyon.

At the time of the initial ban, the Blues said that they “categorically refute” all the allegations made against them, and it remains to be seen if they will now head to CAS (the Court of Arbitration for Sport) in order to appeal their case.

It seems likely, however, that the club won’t be able to sign any players this summer, with the only players arriving being those returning from loan spells such as Christian Pulisic, Kurt Zouma and Mason Mount.