Chelsea consider change to transfers after 'disastrous' first year under Boehly

12 December 2023 , 12:32

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Chelsea consider change to transfers after 'disastrous' first year under Boehly

Chelsea are considering ripping up their 2023 transfer policy after a "disaster" first full year under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership.

Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Everton saw Chelsea drop to statistically the worst Premier League team since the start of January. Out of clubs who have spent the entirety of the calendar year in the top flight, Chelsea have the worst points-per-game ratio, collecting just 39 from 39 matches.

Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace have also picked up 39 points, but have both played one less game. Chelsea started 2023 with Graham Potter in charge, but after his dismissal, Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard took charge of matches at the back end of last season before Mauricio Pochettino was appointed in May.

Chelsea finished 12th last season and sit in the same position after 16 matches this time around, winning five and drawing four of those. This is despite spending over £400million on new players in the summer, with Moises Caicedo the most expensive recruit at £115m.

Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk were also among the big-money January arrivals as Chelsea's 2023 transfer spending eclipsed £750m - more than any other Premier League club in that time. The Blues have largely taken a youth-first approach to the transfer market this year, with every signing aged 25 or under.

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However, according to The Telegraph, Chelsea will need to change their transfer strategy and tear apart their wage structure if they want to land a world-class centre forward in January. The report states that insiders have described 2023 as being a "disaster" and cannot wait for it to end.

Chelsea suffered their seventh Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday (Getty Images)

Following a series of behind-the-scenes appointments, there is an internal belief that some progress is being made off the pitch, despite the club's predicament in the Premier League. Chelsea are being linked with a number of strikers in January, with Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen both linked.

Speaking after the defeat at Everton, Pochettino called on the Chelsea board to sign him more players in the January transfer window. "Football is about scoring goals and we were not clinical in front of goal," the Argentine told Match of the Day. "I'm really, really disappointed. We didn't get the point we deserved. I think we were better but we didn't get what we wanted.

"This was a game to play and to win. It's a problem we need to check. We need to analyse the reality. We need to talk and to try and improve in the next transfer market."

Next up for Chelsea is a game against rock bottom Sheffield United on Saturday as they look to return to winning ways after back-to-back Premier League losses.

Kieran King