Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon insisted today the controversial signing of Gael Kakuta was not “child trafficking” and has blasted FIFA's decision to ban the teenager from playing for four months.

FIFA have also banned Chelsea from making any new signings until January 2011 after being found guilty last week of inducing Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens in 2007.

Both FIFA and UEFA want to outlaw international transfers of players under 18 and the governing bodies' presidents Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have referred to the practice as “child slavery” and “child trafficking”.

But Kenyon hit back, saying: “It was something that happened two years ago that was in no way child trafficking. I think you've also got to distinguish between the issues.”

And Kenyon criticised the decision to suspend the player until the end of the year. He added: “He wants to play his profession, which is football.
“We need to take account for that and make sure we've got enough support around him to ensure he's fully supported at a difficult time.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City could be the next club in line for punishment from Fifa after French outfit Rennes claimed their capture of young defender Jeremy Helan was unlawful.

The Ligue 1 side claim Helan, 17, had a pre-contract agreement, which he signed as a 13-year-old. Rennes' technical director Pierre Dreossi said: “City must now realise the consequences of their attitude in the Helan case as it is even more illegal than Kakuta.”

However, City today insisted they have not done anything wrong. A club statement said: “We are comfortable that we have acted within the rules throughout the whole process.”