Chelsea will likely be stuck with transfer flop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang until the summer after FIFA and LaLiga regulations ruled out two possible exits.
Standard Sport understands the summer signing has not been made available for transfer but was the subject of an enquiry from Atletico Madrid during negotiations for Joao Felix to head the other way.
It soon came to light that Aubameyang would be unable to join Atleti having already played for both Chelsea and Barcelona this season, and FIFA rules restrict a player from appearing for three clubs during the same domestic calendar.
Barca were then linked with bringing the striker back to Camp Nou, with the likes of Memphis Depay likely to leave, but again Aubameyang has been thwarted by the rulebook.
Spanish football prevents players from being registered twice by the same team in the same season.
Article 141.5 of the RFEF (Spain’s Football Federation) regulations states: "Players whose license is cancelled, may not, in the course of of the same season, obtain a license in the same team of the club at the that were already linked."
That leaves very few options for Aubameyang and Chelsea, should they decide to part ways.
One is Major League Soccer in the United States, as Article 5.3 regarding registration of players in FIFA regulations state: "A player moving between two clubs belonging to associations with overlapping seasons (i.e. start of the season in summer/autumn as opposed to winter/spring) may be eligible to play in official matches for a third club during the relevant season, provided he has fully complied with his contractual obligations towards his previous clubs."
As MLS runs from February to October, rather than the European model of August to May, Aubameyang would be allowed to play for a third club inside seven months.
