“The owners really tried to make this club outstanding but the previous Managers are too extravagent in spending. Chelsea Manager Pochettino blast previous Managers on recruiting under performing player
Several players have previously left Chelsea and excelled elsewhere, with Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne among the most noteworthy examples. However, with the Blues scouring the market for reinforcements, they could have saved £222 million by trusting their academy in recent times.
Cobham has fostered the development of a plethora of outstanding talent, yet in recent years those academy graduates have been offloaded to raise revenue rather than progressing to first-team stardom. And, with Conor Gallagher the most recent addition to Todd Boehly’s store display, the trend shows no signs of abating.
To keep inside the Financial Fair Play guidelines, Chelsea must learn from prior mistakes when determining which academy product to sell next. The Blues have spent a lot of money since Boehly arrived at Stamford Bridge, but they might have saved £222 million by trusting the players they already have.
Another Blues blunder has revealed in the form of Dominic Solanke, who was permitted to depart the club as a free agent in 2017. The teenager did not believe there was a clear path to playing frequently under Antonio Conte and instead chose to join Liverpool.
His time at Anfield fell short of expectations, but a move to Bournemouth has put his career back on track, with his hat-trick against Nottingham Forest on Saturday demonstrating why he is considered as one of the Premier League’s most in-form players. So far this season, Solanke has outperformed Chelsea’s £32 million summer addition Nicolas Jackson, and a move to a title challenger will further underscore how the Blues should have done more to keep him.
Moises Caicedo was also among those who joined Chelsea this summer, moving from Brighton in a £115 million move, and is steadily proving why Mauricio Pochettino made him a key target. However, his replacement at the Amex Stadium, Billy Gilmour, has performed just as well.
With his commanding performances in midfield, the Scotland international is quickly becoming a stalwart under Roberto De Zerbi, and he might be one of the next talents to see their value soar on the south coast. Gilmour left Chelsea in 2022 for a fee of £9 million, which could become a bargain given how highly regarded he was within the club before being frozen out by Thomas Tuchel.
The Blues’ worst folly in recent years may have been letting Marc Guehi leave, only to recruit him as a top defensive target in the summer of 2024. Since joining Crystal Palace, the 23-year-old has prospered and established himself as a fixture in Gareth Southgate’s England plans.
Chelsea appear to be in desperate need of a centre-back in the vein of Guehi, with £75m signing Wesley Fofana battling with injuries – but the ‘first refusal’ option placed into his contract may be their saving grace of this transfer mistake.
