Chelsea has been constantly criticized for its transfers since the BlueCo takeover in 2022. The new owners have made some drastic changes at the club, but co-owner Todd Boehly has now made some surprise revelations about their first window.
Chelsea Co-Owner Todd Boehly Admits Transfer Missteps, Says He Didn’t Know How to Spot Talent
Just months after taking over at Chelsea, Boehly faced a tough task as Petr Cech left his role as the club’s technical and performance adviser in July 2022. His exit was a surprise, as the new owners expected him to oversee transfers for the summer.
Speaking during a panel session at iConnections, Boehly admitted that he had no clue what he was doing when he was thrust into action at Stamford Bridge and put in charge of transfers. He added that the main reason for signing Marc Cucurella was that Manchester City wanted the Brighton & Hove Albion star.
“Finding those right elements, the first time at anything is tricky. So you’re going to make mistakes, and obviously, having taken over in the circumstances that we did, basically, the whole management team left. I was stuck being interim sporting director for the summer, having no idea what made a good football player. But I knew that with Marc Cucurella, if Man City wants him, I want him. It was pretty simple that way.”
Apart from Cucurella, Boehly also oversaw seven other signings at Chelsea in his lone summer as acting sporting director. His biggest spend was $93 million on Wesley Fofana from Leicester City. The Frenchman remains a key figure at Stamford Bridge but has dealt with constant injury issues.
Cucurella was the next major signing, with Raheem Sterling coming in third. The $64 million signing was BlueCo’s first for the men’s team, after then-manager Thomas Tuchel named him the player he desperately wanted. The winger terminated his contract in January and has since joined Feyenoord on a free transfer.
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Kalidou Koulibaly was signed from Napoli for $49 million to strengthen the defense, but he left the club a year later to join Al-Hilal. Carney Chukwuemeka was personally signed by Boehly after talks with Aston Villa, but the Englishman failed to establish himself at the club despite a promising start due to injuries.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gabriel Slonina were also signed during Boehly’s time as sporting director. Aubameyang, like Koulibaly, spent just one season before leaving, while Slonina remains at Stamford Bridge after a few loan spells.
Denis Zakaria was the final signing made by the American co-owner. The Swiss midfielder joined on loan to bolster the squad but returned to Juventus after the deal expired.
