"They're just taking their pants down" - Chelsea slammed for reckless transfer activity after January spending spree
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has laid into Chelsea for their superfluous recent transfer activities and exorbitant spending spree.
The Blues secured Enzo Fernandez's services from Benfica for a British record £105 million fee in the final hours of Deadline Day (January 31). The Argentine's signing caps off a whopping £323 million January transfer window that saw eight players join Chelsea's ranks.
Fernandez, Malo Gusto, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix (six-month loan), Andrey Santos, and David Datro Fofana moved to Stamford Bridge in January.
Murphy, however, has lambasted the Blues' hierarchy, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, who have been ruthless with their transfer business since taking over the club last summer. The Englishman told talkSPORT:
"They're overpaying for players, I don't think a majority of Chelsea's first XI get's near City's team. I've watched him ( Enzo), I did three of their games, he's decent but he's not £100m and they got absolutely bent over there."
He added:
"He's a good midfielder, he's tenacious, he's young, he's brave but he's not Rodri and he's not Casemiro. They're overspending on players, people are seeing them come and they're just taking their pants down basically."
“I don’t think the majority of Chelsea’s first XI gets near #MCFC’s team.”
“Enzo Fernandez is not £100m… he is not Rodri and he is not Casemiro!”🤦♂️ “Chelsea are overpaying for players.”
❌ “I don’t think the majority of Chelsea’s first XI gets near #MCFC’s team.”
👎 “Enzo Fernandez is not £100m… he is not Rodri and he is not Casemiro!”
Danny Murphy hasn’t been impressed with #CFC’s transfer business. https://t.co/5mfGuLutRI
This comes after Chelsea's Premier League record £270 million transfer window last summer. It was the second-highest summer spend by any club in the world after Real Madrid (£292m) in 2019 (via BBC).
The Blues signed the likes of Wesley Fofana, Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella, and Kalidou Koulibaly last summer.
Despite their lavish over £600 million plus spending over two windows in the 2022-23 campaign, Chelsea find themselves 10th in the Premier League standings. Under-fire Blues boss Graham Potter certainly has his work cut out for him.
"Players are coming in and leaving left, right and centre" - Jamie Carragher questions Chelsea's recent spending spree
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes the west London outfit will find it difficult to integrate all their new players. While acknowledging the Blues' owners' ambition, the Englishman remains doubtful of whether Potter can effectively build a strong team.
Carragher told Sky Sports:
"It feels a little bit scattergun, and we felt that in the summer. I would be really interested to know the private thoughts of the manager because it feels like he has come into this club and players are coming in and leaving left, right and centre. He is going to have great players, but can you create that team ethic and bond all great teams need?"
He added:
"Todd Boehly has come in, put his money where his mouth is and wants to get Chelsea right back to the top. But i's also about what this effect has on the players who are already there, what is the feeling and the spirit like? Even listening to Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, they don't like the biggest of squads for the reason of it being hard to keep people happy."
"It feels a bit scattergun" 😬
@Carra23 on Chelsea's spending this transfer window 🔊 https://t.co/yeso4p2ymZ