Chelsea’s future transfer plan mapped out after Benzema and Palmer decisions

FOOTBALL LONDON

The days of wild spending under Todd Boehly at Chelsea could now be over as the Blues turn their focus to the future in a bid to stabilise the club.

No team has spent money like Chelsea since the American billionaire acquired the West London club from Roman Abramovic in May 2022, with other £1bn invested in new players. The short-term result has returned miserable value for money. A lowly 12th-placed finish last year has been followed up by another campaign of mediocrity this term, albeit there have been signs of much-needed improvement in recent weeks.

Given the club’s evident appetite for signing footballers it is no surprise that a number of big names players have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month. Chelsea need a striker and there is a highly decorated one available in the form of Karim Benzema, who is already looking to follow in the footsteps of Jordan Henderson by ending his stint in Saudi Arabia early.

But despite looking like someone who fits the brief for the Blues, it would appear that the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner is no longer the type of player that Chelsea want. According to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein, the 36-year-old ex-Real Madrid star will not be coming to West London this month.

That’s because the club is moving away from it’s previous policy of signing expensive older players in favour of developing younger breakthrough stars such as Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto. There can be little doubt that a pressing need to avoid Financial Fair Play breaches will have played its part in the revised transfer strategy, but with so many of Chelsea’s big-money deals so fair failing to hit the spot it is little surprise that a more pragmatic approach is now being favoured.