Chelsea have being given the thumbs up to seek compensation from sacked striker Adrian Mutu.
Mutu was sacked by the Stamford Bridge outfit last October after testing positive for cocaine.
They are seeking to get back at least half of the £15.8m they paid Italian side Parma for the Romanian.
The Londoners have being given leave by the Premier League appeals committee to seek the money.
Mutu received a worldwide ban and is now with Juventus.
Mutu was dismissed for gross misconduct after the positive test.
Following a Football Association hearing in November, he was fined £20,000 and suspended from all football for seven months.
A statement from the Premier League said: "The appeals committee concluded that the conduct of the player in taking banned drugs was gross misconduct which entitled the club to treat the player's contract as at an end and amounted to a unilateral breach without just cause or sporting just cause.
"The club is therefore entitled to proceed to seek compensation and sporting sanctions from the dispute resolution chamber (DRC) of Fifa."
A Chelsea statement said: "We are obviously pleased that the Appeals Committee has vindicated the club's position and opened the door for a compensation claim and sporting sanctions before Fifa's Dispute Resolution Chamber.
"Chelsea will continue to pursue the case vigorously as the principle is an important one."