Nah because technically it is not a transfer ban as such.
A governing body cannot tell a business that it is unable to recruit people.
What that governing body does have the power to do is limit the players that said business (Chelsea) can register to take part in its competitions.
So effectively it is a transfer ban because no player is going to sign for a team that he cannot play for, but we can still technically sign players, we just cannot register them in to our match day squads.
Thats why there was a loophole that enabled us to sign Kovacic. Because he was already registered with the PL as part of the Chelsea squad, so technically we weren't registering a "new" player. If it was a transfer ban we wouldnt have been able to sign Kovacic permanently last summer, or Sell Hazard to Real Madrid.
Yes, I get that mate.
We would not have been able to register new additions until the summer.
So, imo, great we got ban lifted; signed, registered Hakim in jan rather than wait til July.
