According to Football London, Chelsea broke lockdown rules to sign at least two eight-year-old players on Saturday, the first date academies were allowed to register boys who will be eligible for under-9 football next season.
The report claims Chelsea’s local head of recruitment and another member of academy staff visited the homes of two boys to sign contracts with the club despite lockdown rules in the United Kingdom due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A scout from an unnamed rival club accused Chelsea of breaking the lockdown rules to steal a march on rivals in the “very competitive market” for boys who are in Year 3 of school.
One of the players signed by Chelsea was also being monitored by a rival club.
The report claims Chelsea will remind those involved of their social responsibilities following the breaches.