FanPost

Chelsea FC - A change in strategy

On the second of July 2003 Roman Abramovich, a little known businessman from Russia brought Chelsea Football club from Ken Bates, in a deal reportedly worth up to 140 million pounds. Mr Abramovich was said to have an attraction to the affluent area and all the connotations of the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea. That summer Roman would go onto spend over £121 million on the likes of Damien Duff, Claude Makelele, Adrian Mutu (big mistake) Hernan Crespo and 7 others.

The following season he’d spend more than £92 million on the likes of big names such as Richardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba. The Following seven seasons Chelsea would go onto spend over £382 million on mostly ready-made players, with some massive names such as Andriy Schevchenko, Ashley Cole, Fernando Torres, Mateja Kezman, Juan Sebastian Veron , and Shaun Wright-Phillps. This strategy was somewhat hit and miss, with most of the larger signings underperforming or causing some kind of controversy during their tenure at the club.

Recently, from the outside at least, there is a change in strategy regarding Chelsea’s recruitment policy. No longer will the club pay hand over fist for every big name they desire. Rather a focus is on developing lesser known talent and late bloomers from across the globe. No longer big or bust. The likes of Cesar Azpilcueta, Victor Moses, Gary Cahill, Michael Essien, Eden Hazard, Marcos Alonso and many more .

Many of these players were not the favourite in there position, or viewed as the outstanding candidates. Azpilcueta for example was available at the same time as Mathieu Debuchy, who was outperforming him at Right back in the French league at the time, but is arguably a considerably less effective player compared with Cesar now. The same could be said for the likes of arguably Chelsea’s strangest summer signing this season in the form of Davide Zappacosta formally of Torino, a right back relatively unknown to those not familiar with Italian football, but actually a statistically better right back than Victor Moses an opinion spitting player at the club already. Other Players who have been seen to be not quite at the level of performance desired from their previous clubs such as Pedro, Marcos Alonso and Cesc Fabregas have been brought in and either improved or utilised more effectively in Chelsea’s system, to make the most of any outlays the club pursues.

Although the blues still splash the cash now and then on the odd big buy, with the likes of Alvaro Morata and Diego Costa more recently coming in to lead the line (Strikers always have come at a premium). The money is definitely being spent more wisely (Kante), avoiding big transfer fees where possible and not being messed around with ludicrous agent fees and demands of selling clubs (Romelu Lukaku, Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro). None the less a precedent has been set, buy young, buy reasonably, and buy high potential. The aim of developing players for higher performance or profit is one which has been seemingly put in place since around 2011/12 with signings such as Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Oscar, Victor Moses, Romelu Lukaku and the aforementioned Azpilcueta. Around half of these signings have been sold for profit or are still in the team.

Chelsea have somewhat continued this method with the signing of Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger and Michy Batshuayi for larger fees, which are ultimately cheaper than some other options out there, but reasonably in keeping with today’s transfer fees. In order to facilitate these more expensive but high potential signings, Chelsea have taken to their youth academy for funds. It is well reported that Chelsea take full advantage of the loan system to maximise the exposure of their youth players and reserves, farming players out to various clubs across the globe, of varying quality for a small fee and a share of the players wages being paid.

These players in turn are developed and exposed to the world and the market, acting as a yearlong shop window should the players establish themselves, or better for the experience ready to try and warrant a place in Chelsea’s squad. Due to the high volume of players on the clubs books, many will never make it, but this is counteracted by playing the law of averages. However the experience of developing at a top club with outstanding facilities and coaches such as Chelsea football club is a valuable experience for any young player and is often worth the shortfalls of potentially not making it at their parent club, in order to receive a first class footballing education.

Recently Players have been sold for significantly lower fees, with the addition of a buyback/First option clause in addition to the fee, this is somewhat similar to the style of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich selling off youth products, with a view to activate the clauses and bring the players back to the club, should they warrant a move with good performances (or accept the slight loss of a lower transfer fee should they fail to perform) This method is both cost effective (provided the player fulfils there potential), and often in the interest of the player. Chelsea have recently employed this method with the likes of Nathan Ake, Nathaniel Chalobah and Bertrand Traore.

This method is perhaps being implemented now, after seeing the success of other clubs, and the failed attempts to buyback Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, due to opting not to include a buyback and being quoted astronomical prices for their return as a result. Many players are sold for profit or let go and go onto play at top level clubs and have successful careers, the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Oriol Romeu, Jack Cork, Nathan Ake, Dominic Solanke and Thorgan Hazard all play at the top tier of football in their respective countries.

Those players which don’t get sold, run down there contracts or fail to perform at their selected loans are now being brought back to the club in an effort to integrate academy youth products into the squad for the first time since John Terry some 17 year ago, aside from Thibaut Courtois which although technically a youth product, was brought from Genk at the age of 19 sent more or less straight on loan to Athletico Madrid and brought back two years later to replace Petr Cech in goal. The greatest Chelsea talent is arguably yet to come with the likes of Tammy Abraham, Ruben Loftus Cheek, Lewis Baker and Kasey Palmer on loan with a view to integrate in the next few years.

Charlie Musonda Jr. and Andreas Christensen are being considered to be brought into the first team squad this season (possibly due to a shortage of players at the club after loaning so many out), alongside this summer’s new young acquisitions Bakayoko and Rudiger. Which is in line with the clubs new method of conserving money and spending on relatively low cost, high potential players, and reinvesting the money gained from the sale of youth players and those deemed surplus to requirements back into the club.

When Abramovich took over, he built a brand new training facility in Cobham, to rival the best academies around the world. The first wave of players brought through the systems new development are only now coming of age, and reaching a point capable of contributing to the Chelsea system. The likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Dujon Sterling, Jeremy Boga, Charlie Colkett, Jake Clarke-Salter, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori may yet have a chance at Chelsea in the near future provided they are given the chance, and take that chance with both feet, producing some respectable performances. These players are part of Chelsea’s Trophy winning youth teams that have beaten the youth teams of the likes of Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Ajax. A generation built on success, technically proficient players in a multitude of positions and playing football ‘the Chelsea way’. The view to integrate just some of the plethora of young talent should be imperative to the club, and the blues appear to be going in the right direction.

This change in strategy was probably due to the choice to build a new stadium, and Roman Abramovich’s desire for the club to be self-sufficient and profitable in the near future. Roman Abramovich is quite clearly a fan as well as an owner, putting over one billion pounds into Chelsea Football club since he took over, willing Chelsea forward best he can with notable reinforcements, an efficient infrastructure and a conveyor belt of young talent available to the manager, to supplement the squad and create a club trained core.

A method of no longer buying big readymade world class names (with the exception of a few), developing young talent, and making young economical purchases, while selling those that don’t make the grade, in order to supplement the clubs spending. Appears to be Chelsea’s new transfer strategy, and is definitely one that will no doubt attract controversy and criticism. However provided the club continues its winning ways, being the most successful club in England this century, winning five league titles, five FA cups, three league cups, one Champions league and one Europa league, then the method speaks for itself.

This FanPost was contributed by a member of the community and was not subject to any sort of approval process. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions held by the editors of this site.