‘Mykhailo Mudryk doesn’t start, why is that?’ - Chelsea spent for the sake of it on expensive misfits, says William Gallas

• Blues have been busy in recent windows
• Splashed out around £600m
• Yet to see a return on that investment

WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues have, after seeing a takeover pushed through in the summer of 2022, splashed out around £600 million ($720m) on fresh faces across the last two transfer windows. They have seen little return on that investment, as they sit 10th in the Premier League table, with Gallas of the opinion that far too much money has been wasted on players that never really fitted the mould at Stamford Bridge.

WHAT THEY SAID: The former Blues defender has told Genting Casino: “Mudryk doesn’t start, why is that!? Maybe the boy is not ready, or the system doesn’t fit him and he wants to play a different position - I don’t know. That’s why I said I felt some owners are just spending money because they have money to spend and they don’t even know if the players are going to suit the squad. At the moment, I don’t know what has happened to Mudryk.

“It’s the same with Cucurella; I have nothing against Cucurella, I don’t know him but I respect him. This is on Chelsea though, not even the players. If you invest so much money into one player and they come to join one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, normally they are playing for their national team. He is not even in the Spanish national team! So maybe Chelsea is too big for him, maybe he doesn’t have that quality to be there. That is why, for me, the problem lies with the club, not the players. You have to buy players that are ready to play for the biggest clubs and who have the quality to play for the biggest clubs. They will have the capacity to deal with all the pressure, it’s simple really. They bought too many players, and for so many of those players I don’t know what they are doing there, they are not ready.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ukraine international winger Mudryk cost Chelsea £89m ($107m) during the January transfer window of 2023, while Cucurella was prised away from Brighton for £55m ($66m) last summer. Neither has convinced while in west London, while the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernandez, Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke have also been acquired for big money.

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WHAT NEXT? Chelsea are expected to spend again in the next transfer window, as they are linked with Jude Bellingham and Victor Osimhen, but there will need to be a number of outings before more arrivals are brought on board – with Christian Pulisic, Romelu Lukaku, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech among those that could be moved on.