Chelsea stars REGRETTING contract decisions amid toxic atmosphere

Robin Bairner

• 29 Apr 2023 10:55 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea’s decision to award their summer signings a string of contracts of unprecedented length is already coming back to bite the crisis-hit Premier League club.

The Blues undertook a revolutionary transfer policy last summer as they signed up a strong of young stars on lengthy deals. In total, 16 new players have been added to the squad over the course of the last year at a cost of more than €600 million, with these stars typically signing contracts that stretch beyond five years – significantly so in some cases.

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According to a report in the Athletic, some of these players are now regretting this decision.

“Sources close to senior players, who will remain anonymous to protect relationships, suggest some are already starting to express regret at having committed to such a lengthy term,” it is stated.

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Chelsea's extensive list of problems

It is explained that part of the problem is the huge squad that successive managers have had to deal with at Stamford Bridge, with more than 30 first-team players training on a daily basis.

Many of the new additions have struggled for game time, with interim boss Frank Lampard naming only three in his starting XI for the 2-0 home defeat against Brighton.

On top of this, Chelsea’s players are set to be hit with a 30% pay cut after they failed to qualify for the Champions League – a stipulation that only applies to the club’s most recent signings, with Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly both exempt.

Furthermore, FootballTransfers understands that Chelsea will not rule out the sale of any player this summer, so disappointed they have been with the performance of the team.

All this has contributed to an atmosphere around the Stamford Bridge side that is toxic.

Quoted in the Athletic, one veteran Chelsea employee gave a telling remark about the mood among the players: “It is as bad as I have ever known it.”

Huge work is required this summer to solve Chelsea’s problems.