Chelsea SLAMMED: ‘They paid €80m for two players no one wanted’

Carlo Garganese

• 11 Sept 2024 13:45 BST
• 3 min read

Franck Lebouef has ripped into his former team Chelsea for their decision to sign two players this summer that no one else wanted.

Lebouef has slammed the Blues for signing Jadon Sancho and Joao Felix in the summer transfer window.

Sancho, who had been keen to leave Man Utd after once again finding himself on the outside looking in, joined Chelsea on an initial loan that is almost guaranteed to become permanent for €25 million to €30m next summer. The west London side will automatically sign Sancho long term if they finish higher than 15th in the Premier League.

READ MORE: Chelsea top scorers 2024/25

Joao Felix, meanwhile, returned to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid despite him failing to set the world alight during his six-month spell there in 2022/23.

Chelsea paid a sizable €50 million for Felix, who signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge with the option for a further season.

Given that the 24-year-old struggled to consistently perform at a high level in recent years, it is a deal that came under intense scrutiny.

What did Lebouef say?

“Sancho and Felix, I’m not sure many clubs wanted them,” Leboeuf said on ESPN.

“And surprisingly, it’s only Chelsea who got them. That’s insane.

“Joao Felix until 2031. How come? We have seen him playing. I don’t need data for that.

“I don’t understand half of the signings that we see. Those people are just ruining Chelsea Football Club.”

It is true that Joao Felix received very little interest from other clubs this summer before Chelsea splashed out a huge sum for him.

As for Sancho, there was interest from the likes of Juventus and others but no one came in with a concrete offer until Chelsea did late in the window.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has been hugely criticised over the last two years for a series of bizarre transfers that has seen the club spend approaching €1.5 billion in the transfer market.

Despite this spending, Chelsea have flopped on the pitch with no trophies and finishising 12th and sixth respectively in the league.