Chelsea are bracing to feel the full weight of sanctions on owner Roman Abramovich after the UK Government brought the hammer down on the Russian oligarch.
Abramovich had announced his intentions to sell up as Western governments take severe action against his homeland amid the harrowing invasion of Ukraine.
He had earlier moved to hand the stewardship of Chelsea over in order to insulate them from any potential sanctions.
But all of Abramovich's assets have now been frozen - meaning a ban on virtually all trading by the Premier League side while he will be unable to sell up.
The Stamford Bridge club can still pay staff wages, dividends to directors, travelling expenses and match-day operating costs.
But they have been banned from buying players and renewing contracts - meaning the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen will all leave on a free in the summer unless restrictions are lifted before then.
Manager Thomas Tuchel's deal runs through 2024 but were he to leave while sanctions are still in place, they would be unable to appoint a new manager.
Chelsea were banned from trading in the transfer market throughout the 2019/20 season for breaches involving academy players, but this time it's government-enforced and has no clear end date in sight.
They will also be unable to sell merchandise and their club shop has been closed with immediate effect.
These sanctions will have serious ramifications and are likely to complicate any future sale when if and when the black cloud lifts.
That may impact on their agreement with kit supplier Nike - although it's unclear if the manufacturer themselves will be able to sell products with the Chelsea branding.
The club will be unable to sell tickets meaning only season-ticket holders can attend matches while Abramovich's assets remain frozen.
In a cruel twist the news comes on the 117th birthday of Chelsea's formation.
