Chelsea has a massive squad of 43 players heading into the new Premier League season after spending £185.4 million on 10 new signings this summer. With Enzo Maresca as the new manager, fans are questioning the club’s strategy to return to the top.
Chelsea’s squad includes five goalkeepers, 13 defenders, 13 midfielders, and 12 forwards. They have to submit a 25-man squad for the Premier League, which means they currently have four more players than allowed. The club is looking to offload some players, including Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja, and David Datro Fofana. Some other players, like Raheem Sterling and goalkeepers Djordje Petrovic and Kepa Arrizabalaga, also face uncertain futures.
The club’s new owners, Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, have spent over £1.5 billion on transfers since taking over, focusing on younger players with potential resale value. This approach includes marquee signings like Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, who both broke British transfer records.
To manage their finances, Chelsea has sold homegrown players and offered long contracts to new signings, ranging from six to eight years. This helps spread the cost of transfer fees over a longer period, making it easier to stay within financial rules. However, this strategy has risks, as seen with Mykhailo Mudryk, who has struggled since signing a long-term deal. Chelsea will continue paying his transfer fee and wages until 2031, which could strain their finances if he doesn’t improve.
