The Daily Telegraph is reporting that the league agreed to push the transfer deadline back 10 minutes to allow Arsenal and Chelsea to complete the Ashley Cole – William Gallas swap. In a true rules-broken-for-Big-Clubs shocker, apparently the two London sides couldn’t be arsed finishing their paperwork on time, leading to the FA making an exception.
A Premier League spokesman said officials had received assurances from Arsenal and Chelsea, which surely must mean they are true, that negotiations on all the moves were complete before and that only paperwork remained,
“While not all documentation was received prior to the midnight deadline, the FA Premier League are satisfied that the deals were completed in time and that the delay in the paperwork being received was due to circumstances outside the control of the clubs.”
Right, because it’s not like every other club is subject to exactly the same deadline or outside pressures, or that any delays or hardball negotiating tactics used in this bitter deal were the fault of the two rival clubs involved. Of course, even after this deal Chelsea were then allowed to complete the sale of Robert Huth to Middlesbrough while Arsenal were allowed to sign Brazilian Denilson – both even further after the deadline.
Good show.