Chelsea will have problems making big-name signings this summer as they look to stay within the confines of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.
The Blues have been recently linked with interest in Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams, while Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen remains on their radar ahead of the next transfer window.
However, Ornstein does not see Chelsea completing either signing due to the wages of the players and the transfer fees likely to be demanded by their clubs.
“He’s a player Chelsea and a number of other Premier League clubs like and have been looking at for a while,” the transfer expert replied when asked during a Q & A session on The Athletic website whether the links to Williams are serious.
“I think the size of his salary could be problematic and therefore I would class Williams to Chelsea as unlikely at the moment, but let’s see. January showed that the period of Premier League clubs paying massive transfer fees and salaries may well be slowing down (largely because of PSR).
“Chelsea, like many clubs, are tight on PSR and therefore will need to cut their clothes accordingly. Today’s financial results showed that but everything I hear suggests they fully expect to remain compliant and will do what it takes to ensure that. It means that when we hear talk of someone like Osimhen being signed this summer, I think that is very unlikely – owing to the transfer fee and salary.”
Chelsea announced a loss of £90.1 million in their annual financial results for the 2022-23 campaign, and while it reduced from £121.4m the previous year, they still have work to do and cannot afford marquee signings for the time being.
The situation will leave manager Mauricio Pochettino short of the squad quality he desires ahead of next season if he remains in charge beyond the summer as he is desperate to strengthen his side.
The Blues have to qualify for Europe to boost their finances, but their chances appear slim right now.
Finishing in the top-four already looks like a foregone conclusion, with 19 points between them and the Champions League places, and they need to improve significantly on the pitch in the remaining 12 league games to have any chance of qualifying for the Europa League or Conference League.
Missing out on the likes of Osimhen and Williams will be a huge blow, but Chelsea are paying for several years of poor transfer decisions, and challenging for the Premier League title is unlikely to be a reality anytime soon with their current state.
However, they have players with huge potential and the onus is on Pochettino or the next manager to turn them into a team capable of going head-to-head with the big boys consistently.
