Boehly’s Los Angeles Dodgers have the highest payroll in baseball, and there appears to be a conscious policy there of adding superstars to an already loaded and accomplished team. That may encourage Chelsea fans, but football is far less about individuals than it is about building coherent networks, so it may be that the approach cannot simply be replicated. That said, chairman Bruce Buck, director Marina Granovskaia and manager Thomas Tuchel are reportedly all expected to remain after the takeover is completed.
Romelu Lukaku is Chelsea’s most expensive signing and scored twice on Saturday, but it’s already clear that he and Tuchel don’t see eye-to-eye and, given those were his first Premier League goals of 2022, there has been little so far to suggest he can be the forward to convert Chelsea’s familiar possession football into finished chances.
With Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen out of contract and almost certainly leaving for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, there is a need for investment at the heart of the defense, particularly given that Thiago Silva is 37 and Cesar Azpilicueta is 32. In the midfield , meanwhile, N’Golo Kanté and Jorginho, 31 and 30, respectively, are moving into the final year of their contracts. The form of Loftus-Cheek and the return of Conor Gallagher from a highly impressive loan to Crystal Palace can ease some of the pressure, but decisions will need to be made there—and also about Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech, none of whom has been entirely convincing this season.
Conversely, new contracts are almost sure to be offered to Mason Mount and Reece James, two players who have come through the club’s academy and look certain to be a major part of the future of both Chelsea and England. There have been reports this week about a possible move for Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, although he is a long-term Real Madrid target.
Nothing, though, can really be done until the sale is completed and the special license under which Chelsea has been operating expires at the end of the month. Slowly, the uncertainty around the club is lifting, but it could be a couple of years yet before the post-Abramovich future really begins to take shape.
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