Chelsea owner Behdad Eghbali reveals significant shift in transfer strategy
Chelsea have largely bought young talent since the Clearlake takeover in 2022, but co-owner Eghbali is now open to a change as the project evolves
Chelsea owner Behdad Eghbali has revealed how the club will drastically shift their transfer strategy after growing dissent among supporters. The Blues are currently in a battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League, with fifth the target in the Premier League to secure a berth, despite a remote chance of an extra English team in Europe’s top club competition . But after inconsistent results since Enzo Maresca’s departure and the hiring of Liam Rosenior, fans have underlined “an erosion of trust” with the owners and the project, but Eghbali maintains the club’s approach will evolve in the coming months, instead targeting some “ready-made” players, despite a committed approach to signing younger, unproven talent in recent years.
"The view was to recruit and build elite players that can, frankly, be together and have that stability in the squad. We're still in the 40th, 50th minute of that process," Eghbali said at the CAA's World Congress of Sports conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. "But the view is to keep, sign and retain and compensate and extend some of the world's best players, and ultimately the view was you need, eight, 10, 12, 15 elite players to win and win sustainably, year after year.
"I think we've done a few things right, a lot of things right. We've got to be better on a few things, to add more ready-made players at this part of the project, to take it to the next level, to be consistent over time. " Eghbali also admitted regret at the mid-season departure of Maresca, adding: "Our policy has been no in-season [head coach] changes.
“You certainly review and hold not only the manager, but the management team, the sporting team, accountable, but typically in the summers, not in season. Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali in the stands at Stamford Bridge (PA) "It's not a change we wanted to make [Enzo Maresca leaving]. It's a change that had a bit of a negative impact in the season, when you're changing systems and personnel, and it's one we've got to fight our way out of.