The Guardian reports that Chelsea’s frantic spending spree has left several senior players, including Raheem Sterling, increasingly bewildered. Furthermore, the club’s treatment of academy players has instilled a sense of anxiety among the squad.
The article begins with Sterling’s current predicament. As the transfer window nears its close, Chelsea are finding it increasingly difficult to offload the winger. The 29-year-old still has three years left on his contract with Chelsea and earns a weekly wage of £325,000. Sterling was “technically” left out of the starting lineup for the first match, but the contrasting information from the start of the season creates a confusing picture. During preseason, Sterling featured in numerous matches, and recently, manager Mauricio Pochettino described him as a “key player,” even featuring him in the club’s new season jersey sponsorship photoshoot. Sterling is confused by the current situation and desires further clarification from the club.
It’s a fact that Sterling has fallen out of favor, with competition from Cole Palmer, Neto, Carney Chukwuemeka, Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, and even the upcoming arrival of João Félix. What baffles him is that he was among the first signings after Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over, and at that time, the new owners leaned towards signing established stars. Now, the wind has changed, and Chelsea are attracting young players with long-term contracts and incentive-based salaries.
Similarly, Conor Gallagher, another player expressing confusion, is a product of the academy. Last season, he was sidelined by Pochettino. Now, due to not fitting Mauricio Pochettino’s tactical requirements, he’s been sidelined again. Along with Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, another academy graduate, is undergoing the same treatment. Armando Broja and Ben Chilwell are awaiting new buyers. Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga might also leave the club soon. Divock Origi and Cesare Casadei have already been loaned out. But how can the situation with Christian Pulisic be explained? And then there are players like Wesley Fofana, Chukwuemeka, Casadei and Cesare Casadei, all recently signed!
Finally, the article concludes by stating that the treatment the players, particularly the academy graduates, are receiving has created a climate of unease. They fear a similar fate may befall them one day. Nothing is permanent, and Chelsea continues to create problems for themselves.
This article is from a user submission and does not represent the views of Soccer News Pick. If you repost it, please indicate the source: https://www.soccernewspick.com/premier-league/23289.html
