Achieving a spending spree of over £1 billion in just over a year is a significant feat, especially when comparing it to Pep Guardiola’s six-year journey to reach a similar figure in transfer spending during his time at Manchester City.
Chelsea, having brought in 11 new signings, are now viewed as one of the contenders this season, as the fans are uncertain about what to expect from Mauricio Pochettino’s team. Let’s take a closer look at Chelsea’s fast-paced transfer window.
Incomings: 7/10
In terms of incoming transfers, Chelsea’s recent signings raise some questions about how well they will integrate into the team, much like the previous two transfer windows under the club’s new ownership.
While there are exciting signings like Moises Caicedo, who arrived in a British record deal, Christopher Nkunku, and the latest addition, Cole Palmer, some of the transfer fees paid by Chelsea for these players may appear extravagant, especially considering that many of them have yet to prove themselves on the global stage.
With this, the club’s total spending has now exceeded £1 billion in just three transfer windows, placing pressure on Mauricio Pochettino to quickly get his team on track.
Chelsea’s absence from European competitions this season may allow Pochettino some relief as he tries to find time to assess each new signing.
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The manager may also be looking forward to life after deadline day as he can focus on working with the squad he currently has.
Outgoings: 9/10
Chelsea have achieved significant success in generating funds through player sales this summer.
Notably, Kai Havertz’s transfer to Arsenal brought in a fee similar to what Chelsea had paid Bayer Leverkusen three years ago, despite Havertz’s struggles in scoring goals.
They also secured a high fee for Mason Mount, even though the midfielder was in the final year of his contract. Players like Mateo Kovacic and Kalidou Koulibaly also garnered respectable sums in their transfers.
The club has efficiently moved on from fringe players like Christian Pulisic, Eduoard Mendy, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek on permanent deals, also eliminating any concerns about Romelu Lukaku’s presence.
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As a result, there are very few players left at the club from the Roman Abramovich era, with only Reece James, Ben Chilwell, and Thiago Silva remaining as key first-team players following this extensive selling spree.
This approach shows their commitment to asserting control over the club, and they’ve notably boosted their financial resources this summer.
Targets Achieved: 8/10
The Blues were highly active in their incoming transfers this summer, making it challenging to keep track of all the deals they pursued.
While most of their targets were successfully signed, Chelsea did experience a setback in their attempts to sign Crystal Palace’s young talent, Michael Olise.
In addition to Olise, there were reported interests in players like Jeremy Doku, Josko Gvardiol, and Dusan Vlahovic, among others.
There were also rumours suggesting Chelsea’s potential interest in Kylian Mbappe if he sought a move away from Paris Saint-Germain.
It appears that missing out on Olise was the biggest disappointment for Chelsea, although the club’s management might not be too unhappy about other potential targets that they didn’t sign.
Overall: 8/10
Chelsea’s quick activity in the transfer market has left a lasting impact, although whether it’s for the better or worse remains uncertain.
With 11 new signings added to the 14 permanent deals from the previous year, Chelsea’s squad has undergone a complete overhaul.
A positive point for Pochettino is that he now has the opportunity to build his team from scratch, given that most, if not all, of the fringe players have been either sold or loaned out this summer.
Every player currently in the manager’s squad will be competing for a starting position right from the start.
The challenge for the Argentine manager will be managing player expectations and keeping everyone happy, particularly with Chelsea not participating in European competitions to distribute playing time more evenly.
How he handles this situation could have a significant impact on their performance this season.
