All summer long Chelsea have apparently been courting Victor Osimhen, and then on deadline day not only do they not end up with the Nigerian hit-man, but they sign Jadon Sancho to replace Raheem Sterling.
It’s a comical situation if you’re not a Blues fan, and one entirely of the club’s own doing.
The thing is that no one will be in the slightest bit surprised by this odd turn of events because ever since Clearlake Capital have been in charge at Stamford Bridge, nothing has made any sense.
These strange set of transfer deals are just the latest in a long line made by the board which will surely destabilise what the new manager is trying to achieve.
Telling Sterling to leave and that he had no future was their prerogative, but why did they then decide to get Sancho when they have more than one player that can play in the position already?
It’s clear that Osimhen was a required purchase because for all Nico Jackson’s work ethic and ability, he’s still not a patch on the Nigerian when he’s in form.
Perhaps the player’s apparent refusal to accept Chelsea’s terms has come back to bite him, but if the Blues wanted him that badly, they could’ve found a formula that worked.
Enzo Maresca is probably worse off now than he was before the end of the window and the pressure on him to pull off something spectacular with this squad is increasing by the day.
Financial Fair Play is clearly having an effect on the West Londoners, and as we get further down the road, it will be interesting indeed to see what deals need to be done in future in order for the club to not have the governing bodies breathing down their necks.
No wonder Sterling has already been quoted as suggesting that he’s looking forward to the togetherness at Arsenal.
??? Sterling: “Joining Arsenal is really an unbelievable feeling. I’m buzzing”.
“This is a perfect fit for me! You see the journey the boys are on, and the hunger, and I keep saying again, the togetherness is something I’m looking to be part of”. pic.twitter.com/0uw2jDwEgX
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 31, 2024
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