Chelsea repeating the same mistakes with a ground-breaking £30m transfer coup

Chelsea scouting reports: For moving quickly to secure promising young talents before the start of the January transfer window, the Blues’ new ownership has received plaudits.

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During a turbulent summer, Chelsea’s new owners were left with egg on their faces several times as negotiations for Raphinha and Jules Kounde fell through, with both players joining Barcelona despite Todd Boehly allegedly agreeing on a fee.

For the American who was working as interim sporting director and was entering the world of football transfers, it proved to be a steep learning curve. After several months, Chelsea is beginning to assemble an outstanding think tank of brains at Stamford Bridge.

Prior to a pivotal January window the following month, Laurence Stewart, Joe Shields, Paul Winstanley, and Christopher Vivell have all been confirmed. In advance of top European opponents, the club has already secured a deal for RB Leipzig attacker Christopher Nkunku for next July.

Two names for the future are the other agreements that have fans excited. Strikers Andrey Santos of Vasco Da Gama in Brazil and David Datro Fofana of Molde in Norway. Boehly’s recruitment plan appears to be signing players under the age of 25, at a combined cost of about £30 million, in the hopes that snatching up such talent could see Chelsea save millions and discover the next big thing.

Brighton and Liverpool have expressed interest in Fofana after he scored goals for Molde, and Chelsea beat off Manchester United and Newcastle to sign the dynamic box-to-box midfielder Santos, who is progressing quickly.

This comes after the acquisitions of Cesare Casadei from Inter Milan, Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa, and Omari Hutchison from Arsenal.

These actions have a straightforward technique that is easy to understand. The problem stems from a long-standing weakness in Chelsea’s transfer strategy under the previous ownership and may be from actions taken by the present owner as well. Why does Chelsea purchase them? What are the short- and long-term goals for their development?

Catching up on good talent is exhilarating, but without a clear plan in place, players risk being lost in the mix. especially those who are young and transitioning significantly to a new nation, culture, and expectation.

Is there a chance that these players would obstruct each other, especially in light of young players just recruited or academy talent trying to break through? Consider the acquisition of Fofana from Molde, a young forward who will require playing time to advance. Armando Borja, whose season-ending ACL injury halted a potential breakout campaign for Chelsea, has a similar profile.

What transpires after his return? Will all these players get in each other’s way with the addition of Nkunku next year, who has the ability to play as a center-forward?

Some of these concerns are simply shared by all football clubs, and the new players will need to demonstrate their worth before they can stay on the team. However, for Chelsea, the transfer chaos of recent years must end.