‘I joined Chelsea in £150m spending spree – Todd Boehly tactic risks backfiring’
Chelsea have invested heavily in one particular part of the pitch since Todd Boehly took over in 2022, and one former Blues star believes it could leave the squad out of balance
Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has raised questions about the club’s choice of investments under Todd Boehly‘s ownership. More specifically, the ex-England international has suggested the Blues’ obsession with “flary wingers” risks unbalancing the squad.
Not even halfway through July, Chelsea have already spent £210million in the summer transfer window to date. Around half of that has been splurged on acquiring 20-year-old Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro, 23, while another £29m was forked out to sign Brazilian teenager Estevao, all of whom could find themselves competing for minutes out wide in the upcoming campaign.
It was a similar case last summer when Chelsea paid around £100m to recruit Pedro Neto and Joao Felix, not to mention loaning Jadon Sancho from Manchester United. And it doesn’t end there, with considerable sums spent to bring in Christopher Nkunku, Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke, all since Boehly took ownership of the club in the summer of 2022.
All in all, Chelsea have splashed around £450m on wingers or wing-adjacent assets in the past three years, roughly a third of the £1.5billion or so spent on signings in the Boehly era to date. It’s left Johnson, who joined the Blues as part of a £150m spree in 2003 following Roman Abramovich’s takeover, of the opinion there could be too much focus on one profile of player.
“They do seem to be buying a lot of ‘flary wingers’, if you like. And I would say it’s [unbalanced] in that regard,” he told Mirror Football, via 888sport. “They seem to have a lot of very similar players in similar positions.
“But obviously they’re buying young, so they’re not all going to kick on from day one. So, I think long-term the process can work. But at the same time, for a club like Chelsea, they need to be competing sooner.”
One feature of Chelsea’s recruitment policy that’s arisen under Boehly is the introduction of extremely long contracts, often as long as seven or eight years. This was done at first to spread the cost of transfer fees further in order to comply with spending laws.
In response to this tactic, the Premier League changed its laws in December 2023 to limit the amortisation period on transfer fees to five years. Yet Chelsea have persisted in signing players to seven-year deals, potentially leaving them in a lurch should said players not prove profitable.
Johnson, who made 71 appearances for the Blues, further highlighted the need to strike a blend of potential stars and those ready to succeed right now. Chelsea had the lowest average age of any squad in the Premier League last season (23.6), almost a full year younger than nearest rivals Brighton (24.3), suggesting they’re some way off getting that balance right.
He continued: “You need to have the balance between the experienced players that have kind of been there and done it, as well as the young, flary youth players that, like I say, might not hit the ground running.”
With the additions of Gittens and Estevao, with a combined age of 38, there’s little sign the wings will get that influx of wisdom anytime soon. However, an encouraging end to last season hinted Enzo Maresca can find success with his youthful selection all the same.
As things stand, there are 11 players who could feasibly start next season competing for Chelsea’s two wing spots next season. That’s without taking into account potential departures, with Madueke, Nkunku, Felix and Sterling in particular being linked with exits, while Mudryk faces a potential four-year ban for doping offences.
Even with all five of those players out of the picture, that would still leave a considerable contingent battling for minutes out wide. Save for last season’s Conference League crown, there isn’t much trophy-winning experience among them.
A fourth-place finish in the league has reignited belief around Stamford Bridge that a bright future lies around the corner. Although a Champions League return will require a deeper well of talent, there’s a chance Chelsea are paying for the privilege of becoming even more top-heavy in a part of the pitch that was already over-stocked.
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