Array of starlets could save Chelsea millions

Array of starlets could save Chelsea millions

When Frank Arnesen was poached from Tottenham all those years ago, the brief was simple from Roman to evolve the youth setup and future first team players – as Abramovich looked to make the club self-sufficient.

It is fair to say that he duly delivered as the Chelsea youth teams started to dominate – something that has been maintained ever since he parted ways. The frustration that the likes of Arnesen faced, and his predecessors is the manager’s unwillingness to blood them in the first team, but who could blame them? Unfortunately whilst Roman’s intentions on youth is amicable, the pressure he puts on his head coaches to deliver success means that they will always side with proven talent, rather than look to nurture from within.

Something needs to give in this department and I can’t help feel that we need a rethink. It is reported that we are weighing up a move to bring Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge for a record fee – given his proven goalscoring exploits at Everton – but should we not have given Solanke the opportunity to prove his worth before he moved on to Liverpool? Izzy Brown was sensational at Huddersfield last season, doesn’t he deserve a chance to prove himself? I just wonder how much money we would be saving if we looked within, rather than out?

It is a nice problem for Chelsea to have, given the riches of talent at their disposal, but I wonder as we plan to rebuild Stamford Bridge whether we need to start making contingency plans now – so we can remain competitive throughout the building phase. We have already seen the issues that Arsenal went through and Tottenham are already seemingly undertaking a cost-cutting exercise at present – therefore the more we can bring these youngsters of ours to the fore then it may ensure a seamless transition and make financial sense too.



 

The great benefits of showcasing the youngsters also means that we will still get maximum return in the transfer market – for those that don’t ultimately make it at Stamford Bridge. If Tottenham can get £31m for Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb, then what could we get if the likes of Lewis Baker or Izzy Brown fail to make it at the club? The balance sheet looks good regardless and who knows we may unearth our own Harry Kane that may well be sitting within our ranks at present.

On paper, life at Stamford Bridge appears to be very bright, something that highlights the fantastic work the club are doing behind the scenes. Personally I think we need to start seeing them giving the chance, as ultimately I believe it will save us a fortune in the future. We need a manager that has the chance to build a legacy and I couldn’t think of the person man to do that than Conte. I just hope that Roman allows him the time to achieve this.

Guest post contributed by Jack Radetic