- 15 hours ago
Boehly's billions finally paying off after Chelsea turnaround
Suraj Radia
- 12 May 2024 11:30 BST
- 4 min read
Todd Boehly was perhaps the laughing stock of the footballing world last summer after splashing the cash to underwhelming results but the Chelsea owner could now end up having the last laugh.
The Blues have spent more than €1 billion on players since Boehly became co-owner in 2022 but, despite the record outlay, Chelsea had their worst Premier League season in nearly 20 years last season and it was looking to be a similar story this time around too.
But after a disappointing start to the campaign in which Chelsea sat in 11th place at Christmas, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have since boasted the fourth-best record in the Premier League, claiming just four points less than title challengers Arsenal in that time.
READ MORE: Chelsea’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time
Crucially for Chelsea, some of their big money buys have also started displaying the form to justify their pricetags, with Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson among the scorers in the comeback win over Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Summer signing Cole Palmer has also proven to be a revelation, with his 31 goal contributions leading to his nomination for the Premier League Player of the Year award.
STATS
Cole Palmer
AM (RL), M (C)
Chelsea
Cole Palmer
AM (RL), M (C)
Chelsea
Chelsea are now in contention for a top six finish and a return to European football despite dealing with more injuries this season than any other side in the league and a fully fit team under the improving Pochettino could finally execute Boehly’s vision.
Chelsea’s young stars finding form under Pochettino
Chelsea’s young talent appear to finally be adapting to Premier League football, while Pochettino has also demonstrated the tactical adjustments to get the best out of underperforming stars such as Marc Cucurella, who has impressed as an inverted wing-back in recent weeks.
Jackson only scored in six of his first 23 games for Chelsea but the Senagalese international has grabbed nine goals and four assists in 18 games since returning from the African Cup of Nations.
STATS
Nicolas Jackson
F (CRL)
Chelsea
Nicolas Jackson
F (CRL)
Chelsea
READ MORE: Why Chelsea and Man Utd will support Real Madrid in Champions League final
Mudryk, too, has started the last six Premier League games, marking his longest run of starts since joining Chelsea, while record midfield buys Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez were also showing new-found chemistry before the latter picked up an injury recently.
There are still plenty of flaws in Chelsea’s side, with the squad still desperately lacking experience and lacking balance and depth in certain areas despite the club spending more money than any other club in the world since Boehly’s arrival.
But, for the first time, the belief and vision appears to be clicking for Chelsea under Pochettino, with the Argentine coach slowly proving his credentials to lead the Blues and finally bring success to Boehly’s chaotic stint at Stamford Bridge.
Read more about: Premier League, Arsenal, Chelsea, Nottingham, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson
