Kieran Maguire shares view on ‘spectacular’ Chelsea rule that rejected James Maddison
Chelsea could face an ‘unpleasant hangover’ in future transfer windows if their current recruitment model backfires.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the Blues’ decision to only sign players 25 and under this summer.
Since Todd Boehly’s takeover of the club last year, Chelsea’s transfer business has prioritised bringing young and exciting talents to Stamford Bridge on long-term contracts.
Football Insider revealed on Sunday (3 September) that Chelsea’s transfer model of only signing players 25 and under cleared the way for Tottenham to sign James Maddison this summer.
The London outfit spent nearly £400million in the summer window bringing in 12 new players that all fit Chelsea’s age profile.
Maguire explained that Chelsea’s strategy could prove to be ‘spectacular’ if successful, but could leave the club with poorly performing players on big wages if it backfires.
“Chelsea are fully aware that players’ peak years tend to be between 27 and 31 years old,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“By targeting young players and putting them on long-term contracts, they’ve got a number of players now who are effectively tied to the club until 2031.
“For Chelsea, it means that if these players do progress, then in three or four years time the players will be just approaching their prime.
“Therefore they’ll retain maximum value and have the protection that they’ve still got three or four years left on the contract.
“Any clubs trying to pry the players away will have to be realistic and there’s only a very small group of clubs that can afford to do so.
“If it works, it will be spectacular.
“If it doesn’t work, then it will be an unpleasant hangover if you have talent that you have to pay for another five or six years at significant wages.
“Perhaps not the brutal wages we see elsewhere, but it would still be a significant drain on the club’s finances.”
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