Chelsea’s new owners set off all-time signing spree – here are the numbers behind incredible buying spree: ‘They’ve ruined the market’

Cost what it costs. For Chelsea’s new owner Todd Boehly, the player market has been a buffet from which he has picked exactly what he wants. After his first two transfer windows, it can be concluded that there was quite a lot that he wanted.

Russian owner Roman Abramovich turned Chelsea into a powerhouse in the 2000s.

Under his rule, the London team established itself as a club with short patience for coaches. Player traffic could also be lively.

After Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, Todd Boehly and his consortium came in as new owners – and under the American’s leadership, the traffic has reached completely new levels.

Or how about 14 new player signings, breathtaking record transfer fees and change of both head coach and sporting management? British media reports of chaos at the club, with Boehly himself taking on the role of interim sporting director.

In his first two transfer windows as a Premier League club owner, he has managed to dispose of €700 million in Chelsea signings.

Crazy record figure outclasses the other top leagues

During the past January window, the trend was clear. The Premier League clubs went shopping, while the other top European leagues watched.

But the engine behind this winter’s British signing dominance was Chelsea. The club set a new record for a transfer period with its 320 million euros – which was also more than what the teams in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A paid together (225 million).

Coach Graham Potter now has a gigantic – albeit injury-plagued – squad of over 30 players at his disposal. New coach Potter has not had an easy season in London.

Right now, Chelsea, who won the Champions League as recently as this year, is in tenth place in the league. The distance to fourth place Manchester United, who are in the last CL place, has grown to ten points.

– Chelsea’s situation is quite urgent, you should really move up in the table. Now they have made quick signings, for which there is certainly – or at least hopefully – a long-term plan, thinks Yle Urheilu’s expert Antti Pohja.

Long contracts

At the same time, the recruiting party has served as further proof that football’s financial regulations Financial Fair Play not working. The regulations simply state that the clubs should not dispose of more money than they earn.

Chelsea has been able to continue with the big signings by spreading the costs over many years.

Of the biggest fish, the World Cup’s best young player Enzo Fernandez was brought in from Benfica for €121m – on an eight-year contract as the most expensive English signing ever. An equally lengthy agreement was signed with Ukrainian prodigy Mychajlo Mudryk, who was snapped up right in front of Arsenal’s nose from Shakhtar Donetsk for 70 million euros.

Another four January signings have contracts that extend to 2030. And of the summer signings, 80-million center back Wesley Fofana signed for six years.

Soon Boehly may be forced to rethink. This summer, the financial rules will be stepped up, then Financial Sustainability and Club Licensing Regulations enters into force. European football association Uefa also wants to limit contract lengths to five years.

The criticism: “The British market is doped”

Finding a common thread in the record buying frenzy is not the easiest thing.

Uefa’s desire to limit contract lengths is said to be a direct reaction to Chelsea’s unique market activity. Club managers who NY Times spoke to – both in England and out in Europe – could not see the logic in the London team’s procedure.

Spanish league president Javier Tebas accuses the team of having “destroyed the market”.

– The British market is doped. It’s a series where billions have been wasted over the past few years, funded by patrons, in this case American investors who are losing money, Tebas told the paper.

It was clear from the very beginning that Boehly would bet big money on Chelsea. In addition to his consortium paying Roman Abramovich close to five billion euros for the club, the new owner committed to investing close to two billion euros in the club within a ten-year period.

When Potter sat down in front of a packed press room after the crazy month of signings, he was immediately told that the press conference was as well attended as Chelsea’s dressing room.

– It’s exciting. This is of course a test for me and everyone else on the staff, but it’s a cool one, smiled the coach.

Sources: AFP, AP, Transfermarkt, The Times, NY Times