Chelsea's "Vision 2030" already in trouble

FT Desk

• 6 Nov 2022 10:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Todd Boehly succeeded Roman Abramovich as Chelsea owner in May with big ambitions, but his "Vision 2030" for the club is already taking a hit.

Boehly's idea is to cultivate or sign young players that will still be an asset to the club by the end of the decade, and the transfers of Wesley Fofana (from Leicester for £75 million/€85.5m) and Carney Chukwuemeka (from Aston Villa for £20m/€22.8m) fit that bill.

As did the acquisition of Brighton manager Graham Potter as Thomas Tuchel's replacement - or so Boehly thought…

READ: Two players Graham Potter MUST sell at Chelsea

But now more than one academy star wants out of Stamford Bridge, with Manchester City entering into negotiations with striker Jude Soonsup-Bell while talented midfielder Charlie Webster is refusing to sign a new contract.

Soonsup-Bell scored 14 goals in 16 games in the U18 Premier League the season before last, and hit the winner as the Blues won that age group's Cup Final against Fulham last term. He is out of contract at the end of the season.

Webster lines up deeper than Soonsup-Bell in midfield, but he has long been seen as one of the academy's brightest stars, and was promoted to first-team training by Tuchel last season. The German's dismissal could be why he is dragging his feet.

READ: Should Chelsea recall loan star following Chilwell's injury?

Webster: 'Tuchel brilliant'

"Tuchel's a brilliant coach and I love his attention to detail," he said last season. "He made me understand that small details matter in every game."

Potter developed a reputation for improving young players at Brighton, but this season Fofana and Armando Broja are the only players still eligible for under-21 football for to have started a game for him in the Premier League.

With Chelsea already assured of Champions League knock-out stage qualification, academy quartet Eddie Beach, Dion Rankine, Lewis Hall and Zak Sturge were called up to train with the senior squad ahead of Wednesday's 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb.

None of them played, though. "I don't think it's time to be just using young players just for the sake of it," Potter said.