Mauricio Pochettino is under pressure to try and turn things around following a disappointing return to London, and the window has flown by far faster than expected. By the time the manager has reached the midway point of his first season back in England, he has failed to leave an effect on the general membership.
Additionally, the owners are receiving a significant portion of the blame because, since they took possession of the company in May of 2022, they have not seen any progress in the company’s performance. Since then, things have usually gotten worse, and many people have lost faith in the current group as they strive to rectify the damage that has already been done at this point in time.
Pochettino and Chelsea will be trying to make the most of the upcoming window in order to ensure that their performance improves in both categories. On the other hand, considering the lavish spending that has occurred over the course of the past decade and a half, there might not be much room for reductions if there are no sales.
In this section, football.london offers up-to-date market news as well as a unique perspective on the potential repercussions that certain transfers may have on both Pochettino and the club. First, let’s begin with another child, as is customary when discussing Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
Ronnie Edwards, a defender for Peterborough United who is 20 years old, is apparently being watched by Chelsea, and the club is reportedly considering making another offer for the player in the coming month, despite the fact that the player has expressed a desire for additional experience. Edwards has reportedly been considered by Chelsea on occasion, and the club has reportedly had bids for the player in 2022 rebuffed. This information comes from Football.london.
Additionally, according to The Athletic, additional South American young prospects are being considered in addition to Edwards. Edwards is already establishing himself in the English game as a result of the fact that he is a regular for England at both the Under-19 and Under-20 levels of competition. It is possible that he is more likely due to this reason.
The website football.london claims that although Edwards is a good fit for Chelsea’s objectives, there are worries about him that are also relevant to a significant number of the players already on the team. Edwards is considered to be one of the best young defenders in the country, having participated in more than one hundred senior matches before reaching 21 years old. However, there are some symptoms that are cause for concern.
The potential for Edwards’ arrangement to fail is a more significant cause for concern than the individual himself. The Chelsea club already possesses a great deal of promise, which includes a number of the upcoming big stars. Despite the fact that it has been a prolific conduit for elite talent for many years, Cobham, especially La Cobham, is still underutilised.
Over the course of many years, Cobham has been instrumental in the development of players who, on average, have surpassed pricey recruits to the Stamford Bridge roster with their performances. Since then, they have moved on from the Blues, which has been responsible for making the sales seem absurd and the absence of a roadmap even more concerning. Although it is highly improbable that Edwards will change his mind, it is alarming that he is recruiting a young player without providing the same opportunity to players who have progressed within the club.
It is already the case that Bashir Humphreys is performing at a higher level than Edwards, for example. Despite the fact that he is big, two-footed, and an accomplished player in the second tier, he would not cost anything. During the previous year, Chelsea made an offer of ten million pounds for Edwards, but it was rejected. When there is already a player in the system who is of a comparable caliber, there is little reason to sign him.
Nevertheless, Chelsea has not been deterred by this kind of thing in recent times, and they will once again make the case for selling homegrown players simply for the purpose of financial gain starting in January and continuing until the summer of the following year. It is also possible that it will free up additional funds for individuals like as Edwards, who, if sold at the appropriate price, will likely be significantly more valuable in the future.
Nevertheless, if Edwards were to achieve success at the expense of Humphreys, it raises the question, “What is the point of Cobham?” once more, before.
It has been claimed that Manchester City is interested in Ian Maatsen, provided that he remains at Cobham and incorporates himself into the system as one of the young players who is underappreciated within the system. According to The Athletic, Pep Guardiola’s club is reportedly exploring a number of possibilities, one of which is the 21-year-old player, despite the fact that Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake have both been playing on the left side this season.
In addition to playing left back, which is his preferred position, he has also been used as a winger, an attacking midfielder, and even on occasion as a wingback. The club is expected to make an effort to capitalize on Maatsen for the upcoming month, despite the fact that he has been sidelined for the duration of this season as a substitute who is almost exclusively used.
It has been stated by football.london that Chelsea is a team that never learns. In spite of the fact that Marc Cucurella was only being loaned for a short period of time, they had the potential to lose him during the summer. However, they elected to play him in a League Cup match, which resulted in him being cup tied and leaving them with unpaid payments. For the time being, Maatsen has been relegated to the background.
The fact that he has always been able to play off the bench does not change the fact that his debut with Chelsea has not been the first team experience that his ability deserve. Since Ben Chilwell’s absence, Pochettino has not provided Maatsen with a significant amount of opportunities, and this could be due to the fact that Maatsen is taller than Chilwell or to some extreme tactical experimentation.
On the off chance that the photograph of Ake himself leading the way at the Etihad Stadium on the way to helping City win the treble the previous season wasn’t enough to serve as a reminder, it would take approximately thirty seconds, if that, for Maatsen’s departure to join Guardiola before anyone felt sadness for it.
The fact that Chelsea would allow their assets to degrade and then sell them for the lowest possible price is a significant issue with their player-trading strategy. Even if Chelsea were to provide funding for these transactions, it would be nonsensical for them to do so. Never before has Maatsen competed in the Premier League, despite the fact that he will cost thirty million pounds this summer. A single further season of playing time would only serve to increase that asking price and improve the club’s image, provided that he did, in fact, need to be sold. This is simply a hypothetical situation.
There are no additional choices available. The manner in which the players of Cobham are being utilized as number figures is really alarming, and it does not appear to be leading to any genuine sporting benefits either; it is a fantastic lose-lose situation.
