Chelsea have spent £445.2m on transfers since Todd Bohely's £4.25 billion takeover of the club in June 2022, and yet are 10th in the league and have been knocked out of the FA Cup and EFL Cup. The LA Dodgers owner assured his new club, of a new era with an end to Roman Abramovich's unsustainable transfer strategy. Yet, the Blues this summer have conducted a scattergun approach to signings, being linked with every single player in the world and spending huge sums. Here we rank each of Boehly's 14 signings and decide whether they should be sold, kept or loaned out... Prepare this is going to take some time.
14. Andrey Santos Vasco da Gama £18m Loan
All Chelsea fans are well-acquainted with the clubs handling of young foreign imports; Marko Marin, Marco Van Ginkel and Mario Pasalic. They are signed, to encompass a cycle on the loan list until eventually they are sold to a club where they prosper. Todd Boehly has vowed to do things differently, and has enrolled an ambitious project at Chelsea to sign a host of young stars for the future. The truth is though that in the short-term we are unlikely to be seeing the 18-year-old and he is better off gaining experience on loan back in Brazil.
13. Gabriel Slonina Chicago Fire £12m Loan
Another 18-year-old, who Chelsea have decided to hand out a seven-year contract too. The goalkeeper is part of this long-term future implemented by Todd Boehly, which means that again we probably won’t be seeing the American for some time at Stamford Bridge. The youngest ever homegrown signing in MLS history, could become a successor to Kepa Arrizzabalaga although, with Chelsea’s trigger-happy transfer approach it seems they’d rather buy an expensive replacement at this rate.
12. Casare Casadei Inter Milan £12.6m Loan
Chelsea look like they have modelled their scouting and recruitment off of football manager, discovering unknown hidden gems from far afield. Casadei had not even made his senior debut for Inter, before the Blues snapped him up this summer and put him straight into their academy. Similar to Slonina and Santos, there is real potential that Chelsea are wanting to transform into a profitable organisation, who pick up these prodigies in cut-price deals ready to develop them into pay cheques. Most Chelsea fans expectantly will be sceptical, at how Boehly can resurrect nine years of poor transfer strategy.
11. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Barcelona £12m Sell
This signing epitomises the new owners inexperience and hap-hazard approach to transfers so far. The Gabon striker was axed by Mikel Arteta in January 2021, for ill-discipline and a negative influence in the dressing room and yet somehow Chelsea believed they were miracle workers. While he did experience a resurgence in Spain scoring 13 goals in 23 appearances for Barcelona, he is just not the number nine to solve Chelsea’s bad omen upfront. During Graham Potter’s woeful start to Chelsea, the ex-Gunner has been absent and was even substituted off after coming on as a substitute. He lacks an appetite and desire to help the club and needs to be sold as soon as possible.
10. Marc Cucurella Brighton £50m Keep
When Chelsea announced they had spent an eye-watering £50m on Cucurella, they instantly became the laughing stock of the transfer window. It was a deal that made sense, he had experienced great success under Graham Potter at Brighton, and he could offer competition, as well as cover for injury prone Ben Chilwell. However, if Boehly believed paying anything to bring the Spaniard to London would act as an incentive in securing Graham Potter as his manager he’s made a huge mistake. The 24-year-old has looked erratic and disorientated at the back for much of this season and is currently side-lined, with 18-year-old homegrown talent Lewis Hall preferred by the manager. We certainly should not be looking to sell him just yet mainly because no one would pay it, but also there is a brilliant attacking fullback in there at heart its just going to take time.
9. David Datro Fofana Molde £10m Keep
Chelsea are enduring an injury crisis at the moment, particularly upfront as Sterling, Pulisic and Broja all remained injured. Therefore, while it seems like Chelsea are throwing a dice and hoping for the best with this acquisition, it might just be what we need to survive the season. The 20-year-old is clearly a talent for the future but with Broja side-lined for the rest of this season and the saga surrounding an out of form Aubameyang, maybe fofana could be our saviour.
8. Carney Chukwuemeka Aston Villa £20m Keep
This signing represents an intelligent piece of transfer business for once, and its unimaginable that Aston Villa let him go. The 19-year-old featured 12 times for Villa under Steven Gerrard last season, and he will be a valuable asset for Graham Potter. Potter is an excellent technician with integrating young players into the first team and creating an environment for them to reach their potential, so Chukwuemeka appears in safe hands. He has already caught the eye this season, such as his substitute appearance in the league against Manchester City and he made his full debut against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
7. Kalidou Koulibaly Napoli £38m Sell
In the summer Chelsea lost Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, to leave a void at centre-back. The arrival of Koulibaly, notorious in Serie A as a leader and experienced centre-back brought a sigh of relief from Chelsea supporters. However, its been a difficult start for the Senegalese player who has been in and out of the team since Graham Potter was appointed. His lack of mobility and weakness on his left-foot has made him a vulnerability early on in the Premier League season and he looks like he's struggling to accommodate to England. The problem is the former Napoli player is 31, and should be in his prime, so its hard to see him reverse his fortunes at Stamford Bridge.
6. Mykhalio Mudryk Shahktar Donetsk £90m Keep
Arsenal and Shahktar Donetsk must be in disbelief, along with the entire football community that Chelsea forked out a ludicrous fee on Mudryk. There is no doubt the 23 year old is a hot prospect who was highly sought after, but £90m for a player untested in England and who has only had one breakout season. Anyone would think Chelsea saw Arsenal have two bids rejected for the Ukrainian and acted out of spite in beating them to his signature. Besides the pricetag, he looks to be a great signing and has 14 goal contributions in the Ukrainan Premier league this season as well as scoring three times in the Champions league group stage. Similar to Kepa let’s hope a good player is not tarnished by his pricetag.
5. Raheem Sterling Manchester City £45m Keep
There is no doubt that five-time Premier league champion Sterling, is a pedigree Premier League player. When we secured him in the summer, it was seen as a coup with an outcry from City fans who believed it was too cheap. Currently, Sterling has not produced since his arrival, but his struggle in front of goal is a product of the entire team and poor tactic’s. Under Tuchel, the 28-year-old was constricted in a defensive and regimented style , while Potter has experimented with the England star playing him at wing back or upfront. What he needs is consistency and belief from his manager and once the team plays to his strengths we will see Sterling at the next level.
4. Wesley Fofana Leicester City £70m Keep
I know it’s getting boring, but this deal would have been lauded as a coup if we had sealed the 21-year-old for even £50m. Instead, Boehly hasn’t seemed to realise that clubs are exploiting his wealth and are demanding high figures to see how stupid we can be. £70m is extortionate, but then everyone would say Fofana is a better player than Maguire and Manchester United paid £80m for him. Unfortunately, we haven’t actually been able to find out how good Fofana is because he’s played four games for Chelsea as a result of injury. However, have faith Chelsea supporters because he is a talent, we just have to hope he doesn’t spent five years with the medical team.
3. Benoit Badiashile Monaco £35m Keep
Finally, a 21-year-old who Chelsea sensibly negotiated a reasonable fee for and who brings great promise. This is a great signing, because with doubts surrounding Koulibaly and Thiago Silva nearing his 39th birthday the club desperately need to build a new defence. But, unlike half this list where Boehly has signed players who won’t feature for the club any time soon Badiashile is a seasoned pro who has averaged 24 appearances in each of the last four seasons. He also has the time to be moulded by Graham Potter and develop into an established Premier League centre-back. Most Chelsea fans will hope he can be an instant hit, and salvage the club’s miserable run where they currently sit 10th.
2. Joao Felix Atletico Madrid On Loan
Now wait, yes on his full debut he did receive a three-match ban for a red card against Fulham. But he was arguably Chelsea’s most creative and dangerous threat, and he introduced a penetrative drive and energy that has been missing all season. In that 58 minutes alone, he had the most shots, dribbles and chances created of any Chelsea player. That hunger and sharpness that Aubameyang has lacked, was visible from Felix and he could provide Graham Potter with a lifeline that might just safe his job this season. He is by no means the 30 goal thorough-bred striker we’ve all waited for, but he is versatile and can help to elevate Kai Havertz's game and give us something different upfront.
1. Dennis Zakaria Juventus On Loan
Yes, the fact that two loan signings sit a top this list, exemplifies just how chaotic Chelsea have been in the transfer market under Todd Boehly. Ultimately, if Thomas Tuchel had utilised Zakaria when he was the head coach, he might still have been Chelsea’s manager. The Swiss international has been a breathe of fresh air since his introduction under Graham Potter and gives us a foundation in the heart of midfield. He can drive on a lung-busting run and advance the team forward, or he will be tenacious and unforgiving in challenges protecting his backline. The only problem is his withdrawal in the league loss to Fulham where he joined our starting 11 of injured players on the side-lines. He looks to be a successor to N’Golo Kante and appears to rejuvenate a stagnate midfield consisting of Jorginho who just passes side to side.
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