Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Chelsea send £27m down the drain as Todd Boehly left to rue terrible bad luck
Questions have been raised about Chelsea's recruitment over the past few months, and Todd Boehly appears to have wasted further crucial funds.
Chelsea have forked out over £27million to pay the wages of players while they have been out with injury this season, according to a study. The Blues have struggled with numerous fitness issues over the past few months, with those problems part of their poor start to the campaign. And it has hit them in the pocket too.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have endured a torrid start to the season, winning just nine of their 21 Premier League matches and leaving supporters puzzled as to how such a pricey team has underperformed so markedly.
Todd Boehly has splashed over £1billion on new signings since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, but the American businessman has very little to show for his investment at this stage. Chelsea have laid the foundations for future success, but their short-term performances leave plenty to be desired.
Pochettino has never shied away from the issues, though research from OLBG helps justify the claims that injuries have been the defining factor in their season. They report that the Blues have paid out £27,960,714.29 in total on the wages of injured players.
Sixteen Chelsea stars have been ruled out through injury in total this season, with their sum of days missed totalling 1,413 as of Monday 22nd of January. The wages paid out on absentees highlights the mammoth investment that the Blues have made in trying to return to the top of the Premier League, as well as their bad luck.
Pochettino’s side have paid out more than Manchester City (£15,517,142.86) and Tottenham (£11,214,642.86) combined on paying injured players, with Manchester United (£19,822,194.57) and Newcastle (£10,331,571.43) also paying significant weekly fees for those not featuring.
Chelsea will be hoping that their luck improves during the second half of the season and they will have close to a full squad of players to work with as they look to mount a European charge. Pochettino will be without eight stars for his side’s EFL Cup semi-final clash with Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.
Christopher Nkunku, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Robert Sanchez and Lesley Ugochukwu are all continuing to undergo rehabilitation programmes as they look to return to fitness.
Trevoh Chalobah is now playing in group training sessions as part of his reconditioning, though the defender is likely to leave the club this month regardless. Fulham, Crystal Palace and Italian outfits are all keen to acquire the services of the Blues’ academy graduate, who is yet to make a Premier League appearance under Pochettino.