Chelsea will completely alter their approach in the transfer market under prospective new owner Todd Boehly, according to Football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
Under Abramovich Chelsea spent over £2billion on player transfers. Maguire believes this kind of spending will be unsustainable under Boehly’s ownership and Chelsea may seek to follow the success of the FSG at Liverpool. The focus will move from big transfer fees to investment in younger players with resale value and a greater focus on player retention.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Maguire said: “They’ve seen what FSG have achieved at Liverpool. Liverpool have spent half a billion pounds less over the course of the last nine years investing in the player market compared to Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City and yet we’re sitting this morning with Liverpool on the brink of a potential quadruple.
“I think we will see a more measured approach to spending money. Less big fees, more investment in younger players who perhaps Chelsea can look to move on at a later stage and there will be a strategic movement as far as the player recruitment and retention is concerned. Roman Abramovich’s approach was ‘if I sign a player and it doesn’t work, then we just go and sign another player or we replace the manager.’ I think what we will see is a more data analytical, a more measured and more money-ball approach coming from the Boehly group.”
There are already signs that this will be the approach of the new owners. Reports suggest that Boehly is set to make player retention his top priority with a number of key players having just a few years left on their contract. Academy graduates Reece James and Mason Mount are said to be first in line, after the pair fulfilled a starring role for the club this season. However, recent weeks have seen the England internationals linked with moves away with the former said to be attracting Real Madrid.
The American businessman is also set to heavily invest in the side’s academy. A statement confirming the prospective takeover released by Chelsea on Saturday morning said: “The proposed new owners will commit £1.75bn in further investment for the benefit of the Club. This includes investments in Stamford Bridge, the Academy, the Women’s Team and Kingsmeadow and continued funding for the Chelsea Foundation.”
There are already clear signs that Boehly will follow the path suggested by Maguire and alter their Abramovich-led approach. Chelsea fan’s will certainly follow the summer transfer window with interest should the takeover be confirmed as it is expected to be.
Chelsea have already been linked with moves for young European players this summer. Scouts have reportedly watched Monaco’s in-demand midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and it has been suggested they will make a return for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde who they pursued last summer. A number of other stars have also been identified as potential replacements for departing defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Presnel Kimpembe and Matthijs de Ligt.
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