Chelsea is determined to have football agent Saif Rubie's £3 million High Court claim dismissed, arguing the case was filed incorrectly and should be resolved through arbitration instead. Rubie, who was acquitted of sending a threatening email to former Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia earlier this year, is suing the club and Granovskaia for commission related to Kurt Zouma's transfer to West Ham in 2021.

The club believes the Football Association (FA)'s regulations mandate that such disputes should be handled through arbitration. The FA's agent regulations state that 'disputes arising out of, or in connection with, a Representation Agreement without an international dimension shall be exclusively determined between the parties under Rule K (Arbitration) of the Rules.'

However, Rubie's legal team maintains that the case was filed correctly, arguing that Granovskaia, having left Chelsea, is no longer a football 'participant' and therefore the FA's rules do not apply. His spokesperson declared, 'Chelsea and Ms Granovskaia have a clear interest in preventing [Rubie’s] claim from being heard in open court given current investigations into the club and its activities under its previous ownership.'

The Premier League is currently investigating possible financial rule breaches that allegedly occurred during Roman Abramovich's ownership. While Chelsea's push for arbitration is based on the FA's regulations, Rubie remains confident in his claim and believes it should be heard in court. The ongoing dispute stems from Rubie's belief that he played a key role in the Zouma transfer and is owed a commission on the transfer fee.

The transfer saw Zouma move from Chelsea to West Ham for a total of £29.1 million. FIFA laws state that an agent representing a selling club is eligible for a commission of up to 10 percent of the transfer fee. During the trial earlier this year, the court heard Rubie initially sought a £300,000 commission from the deal, but now claims he is owed a significantly larger sum, estimated to be around £3 million.

The case highlights the complexities of football transfers and the potential for disputes to arise. While Chelsea seeks to resolve the matter outside of court, Rubie remains determined to pursue his claim, alleging Chelsea and Granovskaia have an interest in keeping the matter out of the public eye due to ongoing investigations. The outcome of this legal battle remains uncertain, with both parties committed to their respective positions.