"I just don't know how on earth you're going to keep everyone happy" - Pundit questions Chelsea's transfer policy
Football pundit Jamie Redknapp has raised serious questions about Chelsea's transfer policy, claiming that the club will struggle to keep their players satisfied. The former Liverpool midfielder added that he felt sorry for some of the players who won't feature regularly in Enzo Maresca's team.
Chelsea currently have 33 registered players in their first team, with 13 others not even listed in the squad. Despite having a big squad to begin with, they have continued to add players in the ongoing summer transfer window.
They have signed 11 players since the start of the window, spending a whopping reported total of €261 million. The most notable additions include Portuguese attackers Pedro Neto and Joao Felix, former Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and former Villarreal shot-stopper Filip Jorgensen.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Redknapp asked why the Blues need to have such a big squad. He said:
"It's a difficult one. They've got so many players at Chelsea, obviously you feel sorry for some of the players, they just want to play. There have been things that are done that I don't agree with, I didn't like what happened with Raheem Sterling (statement released by his camp after being left out of squad), I thought that was inappropriate, not on."
"When you've got so many players, you're not going to keep everyone happy. That is the predicament that they have created... They've got so many players that they are trying to work with, I just dont know how on Earth you're going to keep everybody happy," Redknapp added.
Despite widespread criticism, Chelsea remain active in the transfer window, with rumours of a potential move for Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho doing the rounds.
"You cannot force a player to leave" - Jamie Redknapp highlights big problem with Chelsea's long-term player contracts
Former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie Redknapp has claimed that there is a massive problem with Chelsea's high-paying, long-term player contracts.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the 51-year-old said:
"The game has changed so much. There were always a few players that were looking at the money and making sure they can take care of their families, but I feel like we've got to a point where players just feel like, 'I've got three years left on my contract. Why on earth am I going to cause myself a problem, go to a league I do not want to? I'd just stay here and sit out my £200,000 a week'."
"You cannot force a player to leave, and that's the predicament that they (Chelsea) have. Some players just have it in them to play football, others will just go, 'No problem, you just pay me week in, week out, I'll just sit on the bench or train'," Redknapp added.
Up next, Chelsea are set to take on Crystal Palace in a Premier League clash on September 1.