This transfer window is supposed to be the final window of a four window plan that the new owners put in place to complete this Chelsea squad rebuild.
Everyone has an opinion on the current squad, whether it’s good enough, what it might be missing, etc, etc. I think there’s been some very good signings, but I also think it severely lacks balance in more ways than one.
This window has felt a bit odd so far but we must remember this is a long old window. But many of the targets we have pushed for have been underwhelming to say the least, and very odd. Bidding £45m for Samu Omorodion was a very strange one.
We apparently have that kind of money to drop on a raw 20-year-old striker, yet can’t get the Michael Olise deal done due to overall finances being too much. We can also spend £19m on an Aston Villa academy player and continue to sign a host of teenagers from around the globe.
And now, SPTC sources are saying the overall finances of any deal to sign Nico Williams is too much after Chelsea asked for the full conditions of the deal last weekend. The Blues interest is long-term, but it doesn’t look like they will be going for Williams this window now unless the finances on the deal change and end up looking a bit better.
I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be smart with wages etc and the club have done great to reduce our wage bill, and it’s also wise to be smart with our buys. But it all just looks very confusing right now.
Chelsea are prioritising a new striker and a new winger this window, that is where we are at. Any other new arrivals will solely depend on what sales the club can push through. We are told that striker and winger names and shortlists are still very much being compiled, so new names are expected to come up and come forward too.
SPTC sources have heard that missing out on Champions League football has been a big issue financially and has stumped a bit our summer transfer plans. They all expected to get UCL and the financial rewards that comes with it. But not just UCL, also missing out on Europa League even has dented the plans. Both of these competitions offer financial rewards and better sponsorship deals.
Chelsea have been taking some L’s this summer so far and are also looking to do some really daft deals in my opinion, some are really odd. But also, I do think we have to understand that they just aren’t going to jump into any deal that they feel is just too expensive overall, and that is just where we are at right now. We can still end this summer with some big W’s too.
Smart recruitment can be a positive if done right, and if it actually is smart! I do think the Marc Guiu signing for £5m, if it goes through, IS smart, for the record. I just wish we would provide more balance to this squad with a couple of established signings – it would genuinely make such a difference.
