‘Big business!’ - Mauricio Pochettino reacts to Chelsea spending £1 billion on transfers during the Todd Boehly-ownership era

The Premier League heavyweights changed hands in 2022 when Roman Abramovich was forced into a sale. American investors stepped up and have not been shy when it comes to splashing the cash on new recruits.

Chelsea shelled out £600 million ($761m) on a series of big-money signings last season – including Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly – and have been busy again in 2023 after acquiring the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Moises Caideo, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer.

Pochettino is the man benefiting from that investment as Chelsea’s latest head coach, and the Argentine has said of the elaborate investment in west London: “I don't know how much the club was selling. You can talk about being surprised about that or not but we need to evolve. Football today is different - we manage different numbers. Twenty years ago, if we think this is going to happen, maybe nobody believes us. Today, I think it is normal this kind of money moving around. It is big business and we cannot stop. We all get the benefit. We are living on what this business produces. I am not here to give a lesson to anyone. It's about balance. Chelsea is spending money but selling players. Always in that case people arrive in a club. It is normal. [Our owners] they want to develop the project and we are going to help them because we are professional, giving our vision and advice.”

There may be more deals to be done before the summer transfer window closes on Friday evening, with a number of comings and goings still being speculated on at Stamford Bridge.