With the arrival of Joao Felix at Chelsea, the Blues now have 39 players under contract. An astronomical figure that leaves observers, including Jamie Carragher, perplexed.
This Wednesday, August 21, Chelsea finalized the arrival of Joao Felix, bringing the number of summer recruits for the Blues to nine. An additional reinforcement that adds to an already impressive squad, since it now has 39 players. In comparison, Chelsea’s rivals in the Premier League, such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, have 31, 23, 26 and 25 players in their squads respectively.
This recruitment frenzy has not failed to provoke a reaction in England, where some observers are indignant and questioning the strategy adopted by the residents of Stamford Bridge. Jamie Carragher, the former Reds defender and consultant for Sky Sports, expressed his discontent, urging Chelsea to slow down its purchases. He also stressed that the main attraction for players joining the London club was the long-term contracts offered by the management.
“They just signed Joao Felix – tell me where he’s going to play”
“Chelsea need to stop buying players and players need to stop signing for Chelsea. I don’t know why, if I was a player, I would look at Chelsea and sign, Carragher launched on the British channel. The only reason you would do it is if your agent says ‘we’ve got a seven-year deal with a lot of money’ – it’s guaranteed money. I would say back yourself as a player, sign a four-year deal at a decent club, back yourself to succeed.”
“And when you’re up for renewal, your money will increase anyway. I don’t understand why players sign seven-year contracts,
he lamented. There’s nothing to be done. They’re not a young, exciting team. They just signed Joao Felix – tell me where he’s going to play. They signed Neto a week ago – where’s he going to play when there’s Cole Palmer? Great football teams need competition. But in every team I’ve played on, there were seven or eight players who knew they were going to play every week.”
IN BRIEF
- This Wednesday, August 21, Chelsea finalized the arrival of Joao Félix, bringing the number of summer recruits for the Blues to nine, with a total squad of 39 players.
- Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has criticised Chelsea’s recruitment strategy, highlighting long-term contracts as the main attraction for players.
- Find out why some experts believe Chelsea need to rein in their buying and how it could affect the team in the long term.
