Chelsea – The clear winners

Amidst the last-minute deadline day transfer scramble, one club that kicked-back and relaxed was the Chelsea FC.

Azfar Shahid September 03, 2014
Amidst the last-minute deadline day transfer scramble that every football fan relishes, one club that kicked-back and relaxed was the Chelsea FC. José Mourinho and crew did a spectacular job and they stood as the best example of how to do business in football.

They started out from the word ‘go’ with a clear plan in mind, never pouncing on any prospect meaninglessly yet always taking full advantage of whenever an opportunity arose. The dead weight and surplus of the squad was swiftly gotten rid of and the loan game was played shrewdly and to maximum effect.

The club’s official website reports that the West Londoners made six acquisitions this summer: Loic Remy, Cesc Fabregas, Didier Drogba, Mario Pasalic, Filipe Luis and Diego Costa. Each of these is a testament of how aware Mourinho was about what needed to be done to get back to his winning ways, so much so that three of the new arrivals are likely going to be a regular part of the starting eleven.

Loic Remy. Photo: Reuters

Costa, with his four goals in three matches so far has more than taken care of the constant striker troubles that Chelsea had been plagued with last season. Last minute recruit Loic Remy, who replaces Fernando Torres now loaned to AC Milan for two years, underlines excellent backup for Costa in the form of a proven premier league scorer who joins the club at his peak.

Diego Costa. Photo: Reuters

Drogba completes the strike force. A veteran and club legend, whose presence and mentorship in the locker room adds to the grit of the squad; not to mention he can still be called upon as a reliable finisher, if need be.

Didier Drogba. Photo: Reuters

Fabregas was questioned upon arrival, by fans and critics alike, as to whether he will fit the starting berth, yet Mourinho, ever the maverick, pulled the trigger and has been repaid in kind. Not only has Fabregas and Costa formed a great bond, he currently leads the number of assists in the Premier League as well.

Cesc Fabregas. Photo: Reuters

Luis has had limited chances as of yet, partly due to the brilliant performances put in by Branislav Ivanović and César Azpilicueta, but no one expects to see the La Liga winner warming the bench for too long.

Filipe Luis. Photo: Reuters

Lastly Pasalic represents a typical Chelsea signing; a talented youngster sent on loan to hone his craft. One needs only to look at the club website to see how many of these talents the club currently owns. If he doesn’t make the squad and is deemed surplus, Chelsea can just offload him on a higher price than acquired and make a profit.

The biggest example of this being Romelu Lukaku, who was sold to Everton for £28 million – almost doubling on their initial investment in the talented Belgian. If one does manage to make the squad though, they come with a performance guarantee. (Thibaut Courtois, anyone?)

Mario Pasalic. Photo: AFP

Overall, Chelsea strengthened all its key areas and spent much less doing so in comparison to other football giants like Manchester United and Real Madrid. The team seems like the perfect balance of youth and experience, and ready to chase silverware all over Europe.

There were no last-minute deals to fill needs, no overpriced veterans whose body might give in during the season playing key roles. The Blues have incredible depth, and their starting eleven is perhaps the best in all of the Premier League. For all those reasons, Chelsea is the clear winners of the summer transfer window.
WRITTEN BY:
Azfar Shahid He is currently pursuing a bachelors degree in International Trade & Marketing, whilst also working as an English language trainer in Turkey. A classic 80's & 90's rock and football fan, he has a burning ambition to hit his stride in the business world.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (7)

chelsea | 9 years ago | Reply good info the great signing is fabregas and diego costa the duo is good and have already proven they can be very dangerous in any circumstances best ov luck chelsea..
Haroon | 9 years ago | Reply Too early too call. Just 3 matches into the EPL.
Azfar Shahid | 9 years ago The call is just that Chelsea dominated the transfer market in terms of names and strategy. Of course if they come out on top at the end of the season is still up in the air.
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