Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has put Chelsea’s recruitment team on blast after Mauricio Pochettino’s side suffered an embarrassing 4-2 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Blues were handed their 10th league loss of the season by Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (February 4). They dropped down to 11th in the Premier League and their hopes of qualifying for Europe are in jeopardy.
Chelsea’s hierarchy fronted by co-owners Todd Boehly and Behadad Eghbali have made plenty of changes since arriving in May 2022. They have spent over a reported £1 billion, breaking the British transfer record on two occasions.
However, those changes have yet to result in success and a squad that won the UEFA Champions League in 2021 has been ripped apart. There are now major question marks about the club’s youthful transfer strategy.
Souness thinks Chelsea have been a calamity with regards to their transfer activity. He said (via English journalist Simon Phillips):
“The damage is done. They’ve spent way too much money on good players, not top players. Whoever is advising the owners on football matters, they have given a masterclass on how not to do it. That’s Chelsea right now.”
The Telegraph reported last year that the Blues’ recruitment team last summer was to target players that come under the age of 25. This saw the likes of Moises Caicedo (21), Romeo Lavia (19), and Cole Palmer (21) arrive.
However, a lack of experience has been a glaring issue for Pochettino and his side this season. They took the lead against Wolves through Palmer only to collapse as has been the case on several occasions.
Mauricio Pochettino suggested he wanted new arrivals at Chelsea in January
Chelsea surprisingly went the entire January transfer window without signing a new player. This came after a summer in which they spent a staggering £434.5 million on new arrivals, a record for any Premier League club during a transfer window.
Pochettino headed into January with a somewhat depleted squad due to an injury crisis. He also was without first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson who was at the ongoing African Cup of Nations with Senegal.
The Blues boss appeared to call for additions to his squad after his side lost 2-0 to Everton on December 10. He said (via Sky Sports):
“It’s about improving. We are talking after four, five months – 16 games – and it’s about assessing… After the first half of the season, we need to check. That is the reality. If we are not receiving enough, maybe we need to do some movement.”
Chelsea were linked with Brentford forward Ivan Toney and Napoli frontman Victor Osimhen. But, both strikers would have required hefty fees with their respective clubs eager to keep hold of them.
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