Chelsea icon Pat Nevin has slammed his former club for failing to put up respectable performances despite their exorbitant transfer spend in recent times.
The Blues have spent more than a whopping £1 billion since Todd Boehly’s takeover in the summer of 2022. The west Londoners finished 12th in the Premier League in the 2022-23 season, and nothing seems to have improved this term.
Nevin launched a scathing rant about Chelsea‘s steep decline as he told The Sun (via Football365):
“Chelsea is almost unrecognisable from the club it was two years ago. Not just personnel but the club’s whole outlook. The age of players, lack of really big stars, the atmosphere in the stadium, everything.
“You don’t bring a bunch of young people into the Premier League who don’t have the experience. It was madness — even if you spend £1bn it doesn’t matter. Do they look close to being in the top four? No!
“They look like a team that’s been developed by an algorithm. It’s a case of, ‘That bit’s good, that bit’s good, that bit’s good’ — but the collective doesn’t work. The left-back doesn’t work well with the left winger, or that one won’t work well with that one.”
The only signing Nevin believes has worked for the Blues is Cole Palmer from Manchester City. The English attacker has impressed since his £45 million move to west London last summer, recording 14 goals and seven assists across competitions this season.
Nevin added:
“Midfielder Cole Palmer is the exception and he can work with anyone. It’s a great experiment. You buy all these young players but they’re never going to do well for the first two years.”
Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League table, 15 points adrift of the top four.
“I hope that doesn’t happen” – Pat Nevin sends Chelsea FFP warning after £1 billion spend
During the aforementioned interview, Nevin urged the west London outfit to finish in the top four next season to comply with FFP regulations. The retired winger claimed that Chelsea could face a similar fate as Everton.
Everton have been handed a ten-point deduction in the Premier League this season after being charged for violating the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability rules (PSR).
Chelsea, who have spent more than £1 billion over three transfer windows, could risk breaching the same rules if they fail to finish in the Champions League spots, according to Nevin. He said:
“Chelsea need to finish in the top four next season because of how the finances work. Chelsea didn’t fall foul of FFP this time. But I watched Everton fall foul of that after they were going to be the next big thing. They are another of my former clubs and I hope that doesn’t happen again.”
He added:
“Because if you spend that much and you don’t get Champions League football and you amortise over seven or eight years and it doesn’t work. You need that £80million to £100m of Champions League cash every season for it to work.”
Thank You!