According to football financial specialist Kieran Maguire, Chelsea’s transfer strategy would change dramatically under potential new owner Todd Boehly.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Chelsea spent almost £2 billion on player transfers during Abramovich’s tenure. Under Boehly’s ownership, Maguire feels such spending will be unsustainable, and Chelsea may want to emulate the FSG’s success at Liverpool. The emphasis will shift away from large transfer fees and toward investments in younger players with resale potential and a greater emphasis on player retention.
“They’ve seen what FSG have accomplished at Liverpool,” Maguire told Sky Sports. Liverpool has spent half a billion pounds less in the player market over the previous nine years than Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City, and we’re sitting here this morning with Liverpool on the verge of a quadruple.
“I believe we will see a more cautious attitude to spending. There will be a strategic shift in terms of player recruiting and retention, with less huge fees and more investment in younger players who Chelsea may choose to move on at a later date. ‘If I sign a player and it doesn’t work, we just sign another player or replace the manager,’ Roman Abramovich explained. I believe the Boehly group will take a more data-driven, calculated, and money-ball approach.”
There are already indicators that the new owners will take this strategy. According to reports, Boehly plans to make player retention a high focus, with a number of important players’ contracts expiring in the next few years. Reece James and Mason Mount, both academy graduates, are reported to be first in line after impressing for the team this season. However, the England internationals have been linked with transfers elsewhere in recent weeks, with the former reportedly tempting Real Madrid.
The American businessman is also planning to invest considerably in the academy of the team. “The proposed new owners would contribute £1.75 billion in further investment for the benefit of the Club,” Chelsea stated in a statement posted on Saturday morning. This includes funds for the Chelsea Foundation as well as improvements in Stamford Bridge, the Academy, the Women’s Team, and Kingsmeadow.”
There are already indicators that Boehly will heed Maguire’s advice and abandon their Abramovich-led strategy. Chelsea supporters will be watching the summer transfer window with bated breath if the takeover is approved as expected.
This summer, Chelsea has been connected with a number of young European talents. Scouts have allegedly observed Monaco’s in-demand midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, and it is expected that they will seek Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, whom they sought last summer. Kalidou Koulibaly, Presnel Kimpembe, and Matthijs de Ligt have all been mentioned as possible replacements for Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, who are both leaving the club.
