It’s been another crazy transfer window for Chelsea Football Club, and one has to contend whether owner, Todd Boehly, really has a grasp on how the English game works.
In the first two windows of his reign at Stamford Bridge the American bought up as much talent as was seemingly possible, only to see that decision backfire spectacularly.
So far in this summer’s transfer window he has again broken the British transfer record but also seen 12 players leave the club, per transfermarkt.
That will soon be 13 after the Blues agreed a deal with Newcastle to sell rising star, Lewis Hall, according to The Telegraph (subscription required).
A £28m fee for an 18-year-old with only 12 appearances might seem excessive, but transfer fees are rising all the time and Hall’s future in the game seems assured.
To that end, the Magpies may well have bagged themselves a bargain.
What’s clearly ridiculous about the sale in the first place is that Chelsea had only recently agreed a six-year deal for the player to stay at the club.
It’s now believed that Chelsea’s financial situation dictates that deals such as Hall’s are necessary in order that the club stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play.
The haphazard way of conducting their transfer business affected how Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard did in 2022/23, and it looks like Mauricio Pochettino could have his hands full in that regard during the 2023/24 campaign.