- Chelsea spending nearing the £1bn mark
- Wants to establish themselves as title contenders
- Desailly remains unconvinced
WHAT HAPPENED? Since Todd Bohely took over Chelsea, the Blues have broken the British transfer record twice and have splurged close to £1 billion ($1.3bn). Despite the lavish spending, Desailly is not confident that the south-London side would be able to grab a direct Champions League spot for the 2024-25 season by finishing within the top four.
WHAT THEY SAID: "I want Chelsea to finish top-four because I am a fan, but I don’t think it will happen when you look at their rivals right now," he told Boylesports, who offer the latest Premier League odds.
"The people who are invested in Chelsea know that this is a medium to long-term process before they can come back to top-four. It is a two to three-year project before getting back into the system. You need to build the players and increase their value, get them up to speed with the project. Chelsea are a team that need to build up again that winning mentality."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: However, Desailly is not ready to go after Boehly who has often been criticised for his maverick decisions in the transfer market. Instead, the 1998 World Cup winner asked for patience to see how things pan out in the new season.
"I think people should leave Todd Boehly alone, look at what he’s achieved. Whatever step he is making, he has elements that we don’t have. As fans we want results now. He’s an investor and of course he’s looking for money," he stated.
"Some fans say if they don’t win straight away, they want him to go. I’m just happy he has invested. Your team has not performed, and it’s not easy to identify the right person in the dugout. The players knew Lampard would not be there the next season. We are now waiting to see how things will turn out under Boehly," he said.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty
GettyWHAT NEXT? Chelsea fans are eager to see their team bounce back in the 2023-24 season after they finished in the 11th spot in the league standings in the previous campaign. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Liverpool in their season opener and will look to return to winning ways when they lock horns against West Ham on Sunday on matchday two.