January Transfer Review

Following the balanced draw with Watford, where Chelsea were outplayed for one half, a new problem began nagging - are the Blues headed for an age of comparative complacency?

With Alexandre Pato being the headline transfer in, and Matt Miazga the mystery MLS package the second billing, Chelsea’s transfers in January were disappointing. The cash from Ramires’ sale to China was put into the bank and barely anything went towards the two transfers in. Pato’s salary is reportedly only £30,000 a week, and Miazga cost a paltry £5 million.

When one considers the reputation Chelsea held in the past ten years as a loose spending club, the policies have seemingly inverted to a case where it is a thrifty club - choosing to pass on the stars more often than chasing them down as every other powerhouse does. One of Chelsea’s strongest strengths was the financial firepower they wielded, but has Financial Fair Play hampered proceedings this drastically?

I’ve said before this club is, at its core, a business and Abramovich seems to be putting that first. It hasn’t been the direct cause of concern for the fans yet, but will it get to a point where the cries for using resources reach deafening levels like they have at Arsenal? A war-chest is meant to be used, but used efficiently. A good example of it being misused is Van Gaal’s impotent United.

I, and most other Blues fans, expect nothing less than world-class talent to be added to the roster. We want the Pogbas, Varanes, and Reuses; not the no-names or has-beens. Pedro and Falcao fall into the latter bracket, and Djilobodji and Baba Rahman the former - and all have failed to impress.

I worry that Chelsea are becoming a club that considers a draw with a promoted team a reasonable result. That there is no willingness to spend for fear of upsetting UEFA, even if the margin for misdemeanor is considerably large.

The alternative scenario is that they can follow Newcastle’s model and throw millions at the bad results and hope for the best. Although they are in a more perilous position than Chelsea. But with the season reaching its autumnal stages, I worry for the future.

I respect the priority of this season is to do as well as possible. Whether that be avoiding relegation, or qualifying for something in Europe - this team have to string together results and hope for results elsewhere to end favorably.

Just humour me for a moment and say the following aloud:

“Chelsea are a middle-class club.”

Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Painfully depressing too.