For a second straight summer transfer window, Chelsea has been one of the busiest Premier League clubs in the transfer market. The Blues have brought in nine players in the summer, most of which are young players who have high potential.
A method to their madness
Chelsea’s business in recent windows has been questioned by many simply because of the number of players that have arrived and the amount of money spent.
The club’s owners do have a method in their madness, though. They are attempting to create a squad of talented young players with high potential. This approach makes sense because if the players are successful, they become more valuable assets to the club.
This summer, the signings of Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman from Barcelona and Aston Villa are prime examples of this strategy.
At just 18 years of age, Guiu is regarded as a highly-rated young striker. He certainly made an impact at former Barcelona in the handful of appearances he made for the Catalan giants.
Guiu made just three La Liga appearances for the Catalan giants. The forward came off the bench as a 17-year-old to make his debut and scored within minutes of his introduction.
He could turn out to be a bargain, as he cost just £6m. The relatively low fee is due to a release clause in his Barcelona contract. The signing is a no-brainer for the Blues, as it works out, then it’s a shrewd deal.
However, if it doesn’t work out, the fee is very little for the Blues to lose. On paper, his signing looks like excellent business.
Kellyman cost slightly more than Guiu, having arrived at the club in a deal worth around £22m from Villa.
Welcome to Chelsea, Omari Kellyman. 👊 pic.twitter.com/B4p7BY30GT
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 29, 2024
At 19, he has made just two Premier League appearances. Despite his lack of top-flight appearances, Kellyman impressed in the youth ranks at the Midlands club. Villa reportedly didn’t want to sell the attacking midfielder, but the sale aided the club’s PSR situation, so it was necessary.
Kellyman could well be loaned out this season so he can gain experience at first-team level. Even at around £22m, the youngster could prove to be a shrewd signing. Only time will tell if the youngster will fulfil his potential, but his signing is an educated gamble.
Aaron Anselmino, Renato Veiga, and Caleb Wiley, the other youngsters who arrived at the club this summer, could also be considered in the same bracket.
All three players arrived for relatively small fees by Premier League standards, but they could pay off big in the future.
Older signings are mostly sensible
The older signings this summer make sense. The signing of centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo from West London rivals Fulham on a free transfer looks to be an excellent deal. It is very rare to sign an experienced Premier League-quality centre-back for no fee.
Midfielder Kieran Dewsbury-Hall arrived from Leicester for a reported fee of around £30m. The midfielder may not seem like a glamorous signing on paper.
However, he was a key player under new Blues Enzo Maresca last season, helping Leicester win the Championship title and promotion to the Premier League.
At 25, he is in the prime of his career and will be keen to prove that he can make the step up to the top flight.
Danish goalkeeper Flip Jorgensen arrived at the club from Spanish club Villarreal for a fee of around £22m.
The 22-year-old developed a strong reputation as a promising young goalkeeper last season. His fee isn’t the biggest in the world, and if he can develop, then he could prove to be value for money.
While the first three signings made sense, Portuguese winger Pedro Neto joining the club for a fee in the region of £60m is much more of a financial gamble.
Neto has shown flashes of his talent in a Wolves shirt. However, his career statistics in the Midlands have not been great, even if he has been affected badly by injuries in recent seasons.
In 111 appearances for Wolves, he’s scored 11 goals and produced 20 assists. Those are not exactly great numbers for a player who has cost such a big fee.
However, Neto is still only 24 and may well up his game playing alongside arguably better players at Chelsea.
Can they challenge for a Champions League spot in season 2024/25?
Although the Blues haven’t experienced a great pre-season campaign, mainly due to a tough schedule, everybody connected with the club will be optimistic about the new campaign.
The main reason for optimism will be that the Blues ended last season with a five-game winning run in the Premier League, which saw them claim a sixth-place finish.
The likes of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson finished the 2023/24 season in fine form. Both players will look to continue from where they left off in the new season.
Other signings from last summer will also be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the pair in the new campaign.
However, many things have changed since the end of the season, including Enzo Maresca replacing Mauricio Pochettino as the team’s head coach.
If Maresca can help blend the new signings with the players from last season, then Chelsea certainly has a chance of mounting a realistic challenge for a top-four finish in the new campaign.
However, that’s a big if, as he is a new head coach dealing with players, he is not that familiar with yet.
It will be a challenge, but at some point, Chelsea’s big moves in the transfer market have to start moving the team forward, otherwise, the club is asking for financial issues further down the line.
Will Chelsea’s big moves in the transfer market pay off in season 2024/25?