Premier League blocks transfer of ex-Chelsea star from Spartak Moscow
The Premier League has blocked Burnley's proposal to sign former Chelsea star Victor Moses on loan from Russian side Spartak Moscow despite newly introduced regulations from FIFA and UEFA which allows teams to secure short-term deals with players from the Ukrainian and Russian leagues after the domestic schedules of both countries was cut short following the onset of Russia's military operation in Ukraine.
It is understood that Moses, Burnley and Spartak Moscow had all agreed in principle to the deal which would allow Moses to resume his playing career and be close to his family in the United Kingdom - but English football bosses have reportedly refused to honor the deal, saying that it would impact the ‘sporting integrity’ of the Premier League.
The Premier League does not allow player transfers to take place outside of specific windows in the summer and in January.
This follows similar measures being imposed by Germany's Bundesliga and Italy's Serie A but Spain's top division, LaLiga, is permitting its clubs to sign players from both Russia and Ukraine.
English Championship side Sheffield United, however, recently became the first English club to sign a player a player on a short term deal when they secured Croatian international defender Filip Uremovic from Rubin Kazan.
Moses, it appears, will likely remain in limbo until further clarity as to the playing situation in Russia is made clear.
Former Finland skipper Tim Sparv told Sky Sports that players such as Moses should be allowed to pursue transfers, saying: "We need to give them the chance to go and play somewhere where they feel safe. This is a humanitarian issue."
It had also been reported the English top flights team Leicester City and Southampton had registered an interest in signing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Tete - though the league's reluctance to permit Moses' transfer would almost certainly see this deal falling apart for similar reasons.
Several players and coaches have left their clubs in Russia since the beginning of Russia's military option last month. Yaroslav Rakitsky, the sole Ukrainian player on the Zenit St. Petersburg roster, had his contract canceled by mutual consent in early March.
Former English Premier League boss Daniel Farke also left Russian Premier League team Krasnodar in March - just weeks after he joined the club and without managing a single game.
Moses, 31, has made 42 appearances for Spartak Moscow across two seasons and was part of the Chelsea squad who won he 2016-17 Premier League title.
