Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 30,195]

Chelsea open talks with Boca Juniors over Aaron Anselmino transfer

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5578387/2024/06/20/Chelsea-aaron-anselmino-transfer/

Chelsea have opened talks with Boca Juniors over the signing of defender Aaron Anselmino.

The 19-year-old, who can also play in midfield, has played just 10 times for the senior Boca Juniors side so far having come through the Argentine club’s youth ranks.

Despite his career being at such an early stage, Anselmino’s performances has led to speculation over interest from European clubs in recent months.

Chelsea have made a move to beat any potential competition for the teenager’s signature by starting initial discussions with Boca over signing him.

There are reports in Argentina suggesting Chelsea have offered a fee worth £14.1million plus a further £3.1m in add-ons. This has not been confirmed by Chelsea but they are negotiating over the fee.

Anselmino is not the only young transfer target from South America on their wishlist though. Looking for some of the best emerging talent in the region is just part of Chelsea’s recruitment model.

Last month they agreed a deal worth up to €57m for Palmeiras winger Willian Estevao. The 17-year-old will officially join up with the squad next summer, after he has turned 18.

GO DEEPER

Chelsea's aggressive youth recruitment means days of signing players at peak are over

[Vesper 30,195]

Chelsea plan to double down on aggressive youth transfers after Estevao Willian signing

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5575306/2024/06/20/Chelsea-aggressive-youth-transfers-estevao-willian/

When Chelsea reached an agreement to sign 17-year-old winger Estevao Willian from Palmeiras, it was significant for a couple of reasons.

First is that the fee — £28.7million (€34m, $36.5m) up front, potentially rising to £48.1million with performance-based incentives — took Chelsea’s guaranteed transfer fee commitments on teenagers under Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly above £150million.

Second is that it provided the clearest signal yet of where Chelsea’s recruitment strategy is heading: not back towards the established international signings that powered much of the success under Roman Abramovich, but doubling down on an aggressive, coordinated attempt to assemble the best young talent.

It is likely that the level of investment in Estevao will remain something of an outlier; Chelsea regard him as a better prospect than his former team-mate Endrick, who they courted extensively before his decision to agree to sign for Real Madrid in December 2022. When he officially moves to Stamford Bridge after his 18th birthday next year, it will be with a view to taking an immediate first-team role.

On Thursday, they moved for another promising young player, opening talks with Boca Juniors over the signing of defender Aaron Anselmino.

It is increasingly evident Chelsea want to position themselves to recruit every teenage footballer they identify as having elite potential. Clearlake and Boehly are spending six times more than the previous owner on youth recruitment, and intend to scale it up.

That money is not solely going into transfer fees on promising teenagers. Chelsea are continuing to build their global scouting and data analytics teams beyond the headline hire of Sam Jewell from Brighton & Hove Albion as director of global recruitment in May, seeking to complement modern digital methods of performance analysis at Cobham with more high-level scouts and recruiters on the ground.

As highlighted by the signings of Andrey Santos, Angelo Gabriel, Deivid Washington, Kendry Paez and Estevao, South America is a key area of focus.

Chelsea are far from the first club to hone in on this hotbed of talent, but they are dedicating significant resources to building a comprehensive scouting and recruitment network there, led locally by individuals who can use their contacts with agents, academy staff and club owners.

One example is Alysson Marins, the former Corinthians chief scout who publicly announced he was joining Chelsea in July 2023. Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley had dealt productively with Marins at their previous clubs and held him in high regard for his recruitment expertise.

Chelsea’s vastly increased spending on youth recruitment is most accurately characterised as a redirection of investment. The first-team wage bill, which ballooned to an unwieldy £404million in the 2022-23 accounts, has been drastically reduced to a level significantly lower than in the final years of the Abramovich era.

That is unlikely to delight supporters used to seeing Chelsea spend close to every available penny in search of an immediate challenge for major trophies, but Clearlake and Boehly do not believe it is realistic or sustainable to target the world’s best established players at the peak value. They would rather try to sign the potential superstars of tomorrow at a lower cost, develop them in the right way and then retain them.

Persuading these teenagers to sign long-term contracts at Chelsea is only the beginning of the challenge. Ensuring continued development is no easy task with first-team minutes at Stamford Bridge relatively limited, though the 2024-25 season could stretch to 75 or 80 matches across all competitions once next summer’s expanded Club World Cup is factored in.

One area for potential improvement next season is the use of loans, and Chelsea will have considerably more flexibility under FIFA’s limits if they succeed in offloading Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga. More developing players are likely to follow the path walked by Gabriel and Santos last season to BlueCo sister club Strasbourg.

Agreeing major deals such as the ones for Paez and Estevao raises other developmental considerations. Chelsea have too much invested in them to simply leave them to their own devices at Independiente del Valle and Palmeiras until they are old enough to move to England. Constant communication, support and mentorship is required — without violating FIFA rules — to ensure they continue to grow as players and people.

Chelsea insist they always recruit with developmental pathways in mind, rather than out of a desire to stockpile elite talent. That becomes harder to compute when you realise that Estevao is the seventh left-footed attacking midfielder or right-winger under the age of 23 that Clearlake and Boehly have signed in two years, but it is not in the owners interests for these players to stagnate.

Laurence and Winstanley have been empowered to implement succession planning with forward-focused recruitment in every position. Estevao and Paez may operate in many of the same areas of the pitch as Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke or (hypothetically) Michael Olise, but they are five years younger. Chelsea aspire to never be left short of the quality they require regardless of who might leave, as the squad evolves.

It is fair to ask where the Cobham academy, one of the most prolific producers of top-level footballers, fits into this. Chelsea’s aggressive recruitment under Abramovich too often blocked any realistic route for home-grown talents to break through, and Clearlake and Boehly are keen to ensure the standard to play for the first team remains every bit as high.

But part of Laurence and Winstanley’s remit is to more closely integrate the academy, creating and maintaining pathways for the best products to transition to the first team, ideally without the need for loan spells elsewhere. One reason Sport Recife defender Pedro Lima is choosing between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Strasbourg rather than Wolves and Chelsea this summer is because Josh Acheampong, who made his Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur in May, is viewed internally as being in front of him.

Chelsea expect to go into next season with as many as 10 homegrown players in their first-team squad, headlined by club captain Reece James and Levi Colwill. But the best Cobham graduates will be challenged to compete with elite young signings for minutes, and those not regarded as being of that level will be sold.

The prevailing philosophy can be summarised as ‘steel sharpens steel’: that the best Chelsea’s academy produces will be elevated to greater heights by young signings, and vice versa. Estevao and Paez will add their considerable talents to that mix next year. More will follow.

[LAM09 7,056]

1 hour ago, OneMoSalah said:

Don’t get why they wasted 2 summers trying to convince him. Just shows how arrogant and stupid the sporting directors are. If a player says no and signs a new deal at Palace ahead of coming here, why even go back?

Would take the figures around his salary with a pinch of salt. 90% of the time these are vastly inflated.

Next it will be our board didn’t want to pay him an obscene salary so thats why he turned us down. 

It just goes to show how inept they are. If one of the really stumbling blocks was no CL football, why on earth even go after him?

[Vesper 30,195]

[robsblubot 3,595]

2 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

It just goes to show how inept they are. If one of the really stumbling blocks was no CL football, why on earth even go after him?

yeah.
Reminder that we did not even get Europa.
So, we have a choice of expecting things regarding injuries to be better next season and hope that's good enough for CL, or help the team a bit with a couple of ready players to assure we get CL. In my mind, the choice is a very obvious one, but that's me.

 

[Mário César 1,278]

he choose bayern and its normal that he prefer join them than Chelsea

tbh, dont bother me, but it always a bit sad but we will have estevao so thats ok 

[LAM09 7,056]

21 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

yeah.
Reminder that we did not even get Europa.
So, we have a choice of expecting things regarding injuries to be better next season and hope that's good enough for CL, or help the team a bit with a couple of ready players to assure we get CL. In my mind, the choice is a very obvious one, but that's me.

 

Aside from two or three clubs, others will always slip up (which is why a CL spot was attainable with only a few games remaining). It's just hard to see how this current crop, along with a manager who hasn't managed a complete season in a prominent European league, will pull it off.

As has been the case over the past few seasons, I hope they make me eat my words come May 2025.

[Mário César 1,278]

 

[robsblubot 3,595]

2 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Aside from two or three clubs, others will always slip up (which is why a CL spot was attainable with only a few games remaining). It's just hard to see how this current crop, along with a manager who hasn't managed a complete season in a prominent European league, will pull it off.

As has been the case over the past few seasons, I hope they make me eat my words come May 2025.

Let's not forget United had a very off season, which may not be the case come next--same for Tottenham. From what I saw, I honestly suspect Villa's season has more to do with United and Tottenham than their own quality.

I don't understand why this club is OK with these risks; a smaller club can place all bets on promising youngsters and hope for the best, because they don't have any other choice. In our case though, it seems to be very much a choice.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,539]

Olise was worth going for but now we need to put that money to other positions.

 

[Pizy 18,928]

The briefing from the club that Olise’s transfer is too expensive is hilarious. As if anyone believes that the club who in this calendar year alone has spent £100m on Enzo and £100m on Caicedo plus untold tens of millions on random teenagers can’t now spend £50-60m on a player who they’ve told every reliable reporter is our #1 priority target. A player the club have wanted badly for 2 straight summer windows. We’re about to spend about the same total on 17 year old Estevão.

It’s clear that Olise didn’t fancy us. Just like he didn’t last summer. 

can only hope we don’t go out and spunk huge money on an alternative that’s not very good. I’ve said all along that I wasn’t bothered about Olise. But if we DO still want a winger it has to be someone at his level.

[Mário César 1,278]

so he will cost only 50M pounds. not too much

the fact is that he wants Champions league.

its sad but it is the new reality of our club 

[Duppy Conqueror 1,539]

3 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

Let's not forget United had a very off season, which may not be the case come next--same for Tottenham. From what I saw, I honestly suspect Villa's season has more to do with United and Tottenham than their own quality.

I don't understand why this club is OK with these risks; a smaller club can place all bets on promising youngsters and hope for the best, because they don't have any other choice. In our case though, it seems to be very much a choice.

I have always thought their main plan is to take say the dortmund/southampton etc..model and what could happen if unlike them they didnt have to sell/see their best talent leave as free agents. 

 

[robsblubot 3,595]

48 minutes ago, Duppy Conqueror said:

I have always thought their main plan is to take say the dortmund/southampton etc..model and what could happen if unlike them they didnt have to sell/see their best talent leave as free agents. 

 

yeah that'd make more sense if international football contracts were respected the same as in American sports; they aren't tho. Still the same question: why not improve the chances of CL football meanwhile -- also does not apply to AM sports as they don't qualify for international comps.

I dread the day that our top player, say Cole, says that either we take whatever RM offers or he will leave as a free agent like Mbappe just did. And Mbappe was on comparable wages at PSG--imagine the bitching his agent would've been doing otherwise.

Edited June 21, 2024 by robsblubot

[Vesper 30,195]

8 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

yeah that'd make more sense if international football contracts were respected the same way they in American sports; they aren't tho. Still the same question tho: why not improve the chances of CL football meanwhile (also does not apply to AM sports).

I dread the day that our top player, say Cole, says that either we take whatever RM offers or he will leave as a free agent like Mbappe just did. And Mbappe on very high wages at PSG--imagine the bitching his agent would've been doing otherwise.

we are on a real path to becing a feeder club for

Real

Citeh

Bayern

PSG

and eventually Barca, once they sort their financials out

 

maybe Pool, Arse, and Manure as well

 

thank fuck Inter, AC Milan and Juve are hamstrung by the low money Serie A, especially Inter, who already can block us from buying all the great players they have

[ZAPHOD2319 4,819]

 

[Thor 2,716]

I guess there is only one way to say this - most of you on here are a bunch of sad pansies. 

Booohooo a player didn't choose us, so now we are a small club and none of them want to come here because we don't have champions league. 

 

We aren't turning into a feeder club. We have Paez and Estevao who chose us. We have Enzo Fernandez who chose us - one of the best young players in the world coming off a world cup win. We had Caceido reject Liverpool for us specifically. Lavia? Us over Liverpool. 

Not every player in the world is always going to choose us, just like they didn't when we were at the peak of our powers. 

Edited June 22, 2024 by Thor

[robsblubot 3,595]

44 minutes ago, Thor said:

I guess there is only one way to say this - most of you on here are a bunch of sad pansies. 

Booohooo a player didn't choose us, so now we are a small club and none of them want to come here because we don't have champions league. 

 

We aren't turning into a feeder club. We have Paez and Estevao who chose us. We have Enzo Fernandez who chose us - one of the best young players in the world coming off a world cup win. We had Caceido reject Liverpool for us specifically. Lavia? Us over Liverpool. 

Not every player in the world is always going to choose us, just like they didn't when we were at the peak of our powers. 

Fine I will take it; and you are a Pollyanna. 😆

[LAM09 7,056]

2 hours ago, robsblubot said:

Let's not forget United had a very off season, which may not be the case come next--same for Tottenham. From what I saw, I honestly suspect Villa's season has more to do with United and Tottenham than their own quality.

I don't understand why this club is OK with these risks; a smaller club can place all bets on promising youngsters and hope for the best, because they don't have any other choice. In our case though, it seems to be very much a choice.

It's evident at this point that the club's approach is just that. Use Football Manager as their basis and hope to strike gold with one of their many purchases.

[LAM09 7,056]

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

we are on a real path to becing a feeder club for

Real

Citeh

Bayern

PSG

and eventually Barca, once they sort their financials out

 

maybe Pool, Arse, and Manure as well

 

thank fuck Inter, AC Milan and Juve are hamstrung by the low money Serie A, especially Inter, who already can block us from buying all the great players they have

I've been saying for over a season that we are becoming Dortmund or teams comparable to them. If we do not obtain CL football this season, we will have to adjust to this fact much sooner.

Given the club's current course, I'm not sure how anyone could dispute with that line of thought.