Chelsea have been banned from signing new players in the next two transfer windows for breaching rules in relation to youth players, Fifa has announced.

They have also been fined 600,000 Swiss francs, while the Football Association has been fined 510,000 Swiss francs.

The ban does not prevent the release of players and will not apply to Chelsea’s women’s and futsal teams.

The Premier League club can appeal against the world governing body’s decision.

It comes following a Fifa investigation into the Blues’ signing of foreign under-18 players, including former striker Bertrand Traore.

Based on documents from Football Leaks, French website Mediapart claimed 19 Chelsea signings had been looked at in a three-year-long investigation.

Mediapart alleged that 14 of those signings were under the age of 18.