Chelsea is said to be abandoning their established transfer strategy, which favored younger talent, after a season that didn’t meet expectations.
Under the leadership of Mauricio Pochettino, the youthful Chelsea team has found it challenging to excel, and they now risk missing out on European competition for another year.
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According to Chelsea connoisseur Simon Phillips, the club’s recruitment last summer, which exceeded £1 billion, was focused on players below 25 years old to herald a new chapter with Pochettino.
Yet, the evident shortfall in seasoned players has necessitated a policy shift before the upcoming tumultuous transfer period.
In Pochettino’s initial transfer phase at Stamford Bridge, up to 12 new players, all aged 25 or less, were acquired for roughly £400 million combined. Of these, only Cole Palmer has had a standout inaugural season, with 20 goals and nine assists in the Premier League.
Facing the prospect of a mid-table finish, Chelsea is now prioritizing experience for the summer transfers, having already discarded the under-25 recruitment rule before the January window.
The club refrained from any signings during the mid-season, mindful of the league’s financial fair play regulations. This significant departure from their previous recruitment approach marks a notable shift in strategy.
While a complete reversal to signing older players is unlikely, akin to the successful acquisition of Thiago Silva in 2020, Chelsea is looking to recruit players at their peak.
These players would not only enhance the squad but also offer guidance, leveraging the experience of this summer’s recruits while maintaining future resale value.
Throughout the season, Pochettino has frequently expressed concern over his squad’s inexperience, an issue he plans to tackle. Following Chelsea’s 5-0 defeat to Arsenal last Tuesday, he emphasized the importance of patience as the team works through its challenges.
When asked if he felt let down by his team’s performance at the Emirates, Pochettino replied: “No. There are too many details and circumstances why this happened. That is the experience we need to make sure the team doesn’t have in the future.
“The club is building a new project, a new way to operate and of course, always that is a risk you need to take when you build a young squad, it takes some time with all the circumstances we are living.
“That is why you need to be careful. You cannot be unfair with our players. It is true that we are disappointed with our performance but I am not going to use a word that is not fair to describe our team, our players, our squad.”
