Nothing sums up the frenzied thinking at Chelsea quite like a signing they didn’t initially want to make ending up being named their Player of the Year.
Cole Palmer‘s remarkable rise at Stamford Bridge was one of the few highlights that manager Mauricio Pochettino can look back on with pride as he contemplates his next step in football following Tuesday’s departure from the Blues by mutual consent.
Pochettino’s reputation for developing young players was one reason why he was given the job last summer, and Palmer’s progress exceeded all expectations as he ended the campaign with 22 goals and 11 assists from 34 Premier League games, second only to Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
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Yet sources have told ESPN that Palmer was not in Chelsea’s transfer plans until the final few days of the summer window, after two other deals had faltered. The Blues attempted to trigger Michael Olise‘s £35 million release clause at Crystal Palace in the belief that could be done unilaterally. In fact, the terms meant the player’s camp had to inform Palace of his desire to leave and arrange the release from his existing agreement. Amid the confusion, Palace agreed a new deal with Olise on improved terms and he stayed at Selhurst Park. Sources say Chelsea also pursued a deal for Ajax‘s Mohammed Kudus, but West Ham United were already far enough advanced in their own negotiations to be able to complete a £38m transfer on Aug. 28.
By that stage, Palmer’s disagreement with City boss Pep Guardiola over where he should play his football — Palmer wanted to go out on loan to aid his development, Guardiola preferred him to stay with the squad or move permanently — had become known in football’s inner circles. Sources have told ESPN that Brighton & Hove Albion were talking to Palmer and City about a deal, while West Ham also expressed an interest. Both clubs believed a deal could be completed for around £25m. In the end, Chelsea offered £42.5m — only £2.5m of which comprised performance-related add-ons — to land Palmer on deadline day, Sept. 1.
Nobody can doubt the success of Palmer’s signing, but the methodology reveals a working practice to formulating a squad that Pochettino found difficult. Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have shown great ambition since acquiring the club almost two years ago, committing more than £1 billion on new signings and prioritising the pursuit of some of the world’s most promising young talent. The signing of Estevao Willian only this week — a teenager who won’t even join the club until 2025 — for an initial £29m underlines that commitment remains unwavering.
But the fact they are now looking for a fourth permanent head coach in two years suggests Chelsea is a club whose structure remains problematic, yet to find a manager able to thrive in the environment they have created.
Pochettino publicly derided the idea of set-piece specialists in February. In March, Chelsea moved to appoint Bernardo Cueva as their new set-piece coach from Brentford. Sources have told ESPN that question marks were raised about the character of some of Chelsea’s signings made prior to Pochettino’s appointment. Some within the club began to voice concerns about the fragile nature of Chelsea’s performances, struggling to hold onto winning positions and often riddled with individual mistakes. Winning February’s Carabao Cup final would have given Pochettino a trophy to hold as tangible evidence of progress, but a series of missed chances against a weakened Liverpool side opened the door for the Blues to concede an 118th-minute sucker punch.
Pochettino’s irritation began to grow. Chelsea’s injury list frequently ran into double figures — key striker Christopher Nkunku ended up starting two games all season — and in mid-March, he held up the matchday programme from their unconvincing FA Cup quarterfinal win over Leicester City to cite all the youngsters listed to combat the idea he still had plenty of options.
“People say: ‘Oh big squad,'” Pochettino fumed. “But did you see the names? [pointing] Under-18, U18, U18, U18, U21, U21, U21. And sometimes people you can confuse, you know: ‘Big squad.’
“Do you know why we use too many we put here? Because we use this guy few minutes in Carabao Cup, in the FA Cup or in the Premier League because of the circumstances.”
Once again, a cup competition provided potential salvation but, in troubling symmetry for all involved, they missed a host of chances as Man City won their FA Cup semifinal 1-0.
By the final few weeks of the season, Pochettino could no longer mask his irritation at the lack of public support. Boehly had spoken about the “beautiful football” Chelsea have played in two-and-a-half games against Aston Villa, Tottenham and West Ham; Eghbali had remained silent. On May 11, Pochettino claimed “it would not be the end of the world” if he left Chelsea this summer, citing a need for him to feel happy at the club in the face of repeatedly questions about whether the owners were satisfied with his performance. And despite rallying to finish in sixth place above Newcastle and Manchester United, both parties decided enough was enough.
Pochettino met Boehly for dinner last Friday, shortly before Chelsea’s final game against Bournemouth on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, after which the Argentine did not address supporters in the manner of many other head coaches.
On Monday, the club’s end-of-season review began. As assistant coach Jesús Pérez and Pochettino’s other coaching staff members left for their holidays, Pochettino remained in London and met with Eghbali, Winstanley and Stuart. Conversations were said to be amicable, but all parties acknowledged an end point had been reached. The geniality of the club statement that followed on Tuesday reflected that feeling, Winstanley and Stuart insisting Pochettino was “welcome back any time” at Stamford Bridge.
He probably won’t take them up on that invitation in near future. And right now, that is probably best for all concerned.
