The arrival of Chelsea’s American owner, Todd Boehly, initially sparked speculation that he would follow the strategy of FSG and Liverpool. However, after nearly $1 billion in investments, the parallels between Chelsea and Liverpool are barely noticeable. While both clubs have focused on acquiring young talent, their similarities end there. Chelsea’s recent signings appear disorganized and lack immediate on-field impact, resulting in more lost points than Liverpool’s championship-winning 2019-20 season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea currently sits in 11th place, and rumors abound about a transfer swap agreement that reflects the team’s recent struggles. In contrast, Real Madrid is considering a move that mirrors the strategies used by FSG and Liverpool, with both Chelsea and Arsenal showing interest in the transaction.
However, Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool, after an impressive summer rebuild, remains confident that no other club can assemble a team as strong. In this context, Liverpool.com explores the latest news from other major teams in the Premier League and across Europe.
To be fair to Todd Boehly, he inherited a club with a history of peculiar transfer dealings. The case of Romelu Lukaku illustrates this point vividly. Before Boehly’s arrival, Chelsea had spent a staggering $120 million to reacquire the Belgian striker. This brought their total expenditure on Lukaku to $136 million after a prior signing. However, one of Boehly’s initial decisions was to loan Lukaku back to Inter Milan after a disappointing return to Chelsea. Lukaku is currently on loan at Roma, performing well.
Chelsea’s striker struggles have persisted, irrespective of the manager or owner in charge. An interesting proposition from Calcio Mercato suggests a trade involving Tammy Abraham, another former Chelsea striker, could take place. This trade would see Chelsea selling a striker for the third time in exchange for a forward they previously sold, despite their current leading league scorer having only three goals. This situation encapsulates Chelsea’s striker dilemma.
One possible solution for Chelsea might be to give young forwards more opportunities from the start rather than repeatedly relying on established names.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid seems to be emulating Liverpool’s approach in searching for young talent. Liverpool has focused on scouting young talent in the UK and Ireland, particularly after Brexit. Real Madrid, with access to talent across Europe, appears to be following suit. They have shown interest in 17-year-old Irish international Naj Razi, who plays as an attacking midfielder for Shamrock Rovers. Arsenal and Chelsea are also keeping an eye on Razi.
Liverpool has had success with young Irish talents, such as Caoimhín Kelleher, who was signed directly from Ringmahon Rangers. Trent Kone-Doherty has also joined Liverpool’s academy and is considered a promising prospect. These acquisitions have proven to be wise investments.
Interestingly, Liverpool may believe that, despite the high costs in the Premier League, the UK and Ireland still offer relatively untapped markets for talent. They appear to have found excellent deals in these regions recently.