Chelsea let a ‘Goal monster’ leave for £0, now he’s better than Caicedo & worth over £300m
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Combining Chelsea’s recent strategy of spending lavishly and dealing with the consequences later under Todd Boehly with their history of loaning out an astonishing 41 players simultaneously in 2019, it’s no wonder that occasionally talent slips through the Blues’ grasp.
However, it’s particularly frustrating when this talent is right in front of the club’s eyes. This painful reality is glaring amid the recent stagnation of the west London club.
How much money has Chelsea spent? Well, if you got lost in the constant influx of transfers to Stamford Bridge (we don’t blame you), Chelsea spent a staggering £345.9m just this summer. Following last season’s particularly insatiable spending spree, the total outlay during Todd Boehly’s ownership is approaching the billion-pound mark.
One standout acquisition was Brighton’s 21-year-old Moises Caicedo. After catching the eye in Roberto Di Zerbi’s dynamic team as a diligent midfield enforcer, the Ecuadorian triggered an intense bidding war between Liverpool and Chelsea.
Eventually, Stamford Bridge became his new home, and he signed a jaw-dropping eight-year contract with the option for an additional year, amounting to a £115m deal. The magnitude of the fee was underscored by Caicedo’s boyhood club, Independiente del Valle. They are set to receive approximately £22m, having shrewdly included a sell-on clause, for a player they had let go to Brighton for just £4m.
Unfortunately, Caicedo’s impact has been somewhat underwhelming so far, with only two starts to his name. One can’t help but wonder what Chelsea could achieve with another big-money summer signing, Declan Rice…
Why did Declan Rice leave Chelsea? In 2013, Chelsea reluctantly released a 14-year-old Declan Rice. England’s centurion and Arsenal’s newfound fan favorite embarked on his footballing journey at Cobham in 2006.
Rice displayed such innate talent that, despite never engaging in organized football during his childhood, he was deemed good enough for Chelsea’s academy. He played alongside fellow midfielder Mason Mount and forged a lasting friendship with the now-Manchester United player.
While Mount became the youthful poster boy, Rice was let go in 2013, possibly due to his slight height at the time, as the player claims. Astonishingly, West Ham promptly secured the young talent.
With new opportunities, a growth spurt, and success in the Hammers’ youth sides, Rice needed just two years to break into the first team.
So, how good is Declan Rice now? West Ham progressively showcased Declan Rice’s abilities to the Premier League. From 2015 until his recent move to Arsenal for £100m, Rice accumulated over 200 league appearances for West Ham and culminated his emotional final season with victory in UEFA’s Europa Conference League.
Rice’s final season highlighted his excellence, earning him a spot in Opta statisticians’ team of the season. As the sole West Ham representative, Rice led in possession wins (334 times) and interceptions (63). Moreover, he outperformed Caicedo in crucial midfield metrics, ranking second for ball carries (702), ball carry distance (7,136m), and ball carry progress distance (3,827m) behind only Rodri in his positional peer group. It’s undeniable that letting him go was a significant blunder from Chelsea’s perspective.
Rice also covered an extensive distance, ranking third with a staggering 412km covered, equivalent to running nearly 10 marathons. It’s evident why some journalists, such as the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, swiftly labeled the midfielder a “monster.”
Certainly, watching a player leave for free and witnessing their rise to stardom is a bitter pill to swallow. With Chelsea’s recent spree of spending, it might be quick (and arguably harsh) to say they haven’t learned from their errors. In a sense, this statement holds true, with numerous talents overlooked by a club and owner enthralled by the allure of new acquisitions.
Yet, with the Americanized concept of expansive multi-year contracts, Boehly seems to be shaping the best young talents for a long-term commitment, creating a new-age development strategy not witnessed before in the game.
