Football is a sport. It is a thrilling and competitive form of entertainment. However, football is not just that. It is a business. Separately, sport and business are both ruthless. But together, ruthlessness can sometimes be an understatement to describe the nature of the partnership.
This isn’t just true about football but about other sports as well, particularly in motorsports such as Formula 1. With only 20 seats available at the highest level of competition, not everyone that is deserving of a shot will get one. Skill alone is not enough. Chelsea’s current ownership have shown time and time again how much they agree with this concept.
The BlueCo Era
For years, Chelsea has been known to be making big moves during the transfer windows. However, this has become even more prevalent since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali’s BlueCo took over in May 2022.
Stamford Bridge has seen many incoming transfers and many sales, with a hefty sum dealt in transactions. And whilst that is a normal part of the sporting business, there is one particular issue with how Chelsea handle their transfer window business.
The Name is Cobham
Chelsea’s academy is starting to look like it may not be as important as it once was. Having produced names like John Terry, Peter Bonetti, Andreas Christensen, Jamal Musiala, Mason Mount and Reece James, Cobham has had a good reputation.
However, of late, Chelsea have been selling their academy players, which has led many to question the point of the academy’s existence. Among the Cobham graduates to be sold last summer were Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount. The latter was sold to direct rivals Manchester United, which stirred up tension in the media.
What has made Chelsea’s decision to sell their academy graduates even more questionable is the high influx of young players Chelsea have been investing in lately.
Boyhood Club
This summer, Chelsea have already sold Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa. Whilst the Dutch player had not been part of Chelsea’s academy for too long, it was still an unpopular move amongst fans. To the further frustration of Chelsea fans, two more academy graduates appear to be leaving Stamford Bridge. The two players are midfielder Conor Gallagher and centre-back Trevor Chalobah.
Whilst Gallagher’s exit has not upset many from a tactical standpoint, he is still, at the end of the day, a Cobham graduate. The possibility of a Chalobah exit, on the other hand, has caused a ruckus online.
These two players both joined Chelsea at the ripe age of eight. Both have expressed their love of being a Blue since then and have no interest in joining any other clubs. However, despite both players not wanting a move away from Chelsea, the club seem eager to force their sales this summer.
Gallagher had a decent 2023/24 season under Mauricio Pochettino, showing improvement from his form in previous seasons. He even wore the captain’s armband for his boyhood club on several occasions during that season. The Englishman has been linked to Tottenham. A move to another London rival is quite questionable, especially for a player who has been at Chelsea for 16 years.
Chalobah’s 2023/24 season, on the other hand, was plagued by injury. When he was able to play, though, he displayed great bursts of performance. His central defence partnership with Thiago Silva in the latter parts of the season was crucial in Chelsea securing a top 6 finish. The defender has not been selected to participate in Chelsea’s pre-season tour in the USA, which has elicited frustration from supporters online. The decision to leave him at home despite being fully fit is a clear sign that Chelsea are set to sell him this summer. Chalobah’s desire to stay is being completely disregarded.
What could the forceful departure of Chelsea academy graduates mean for the academy in the future?
Main Image: “Stamford Bridge Stadium” by SapiensBryan via Flickr