Chelsea has embarked on a transformative journey since being acquired by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in May 2022. In need of a fresh start after the Roman Abramovich era, the club has implemented significant changes across various departments, borrowing ideas and strategies from other successful football clubs, including Manchester City.
At Stamford Bridge, the focus has been on recruiting the best talent in class. This has involved bringing in data and recruitment experts from Brighton and commercial figures from top clubs like Manchester United, Tottenham, and Milan. On the playing and coaching side, Chelsea has made notable moves by incorporating figures associated with City Football Group.
Despite Manchester City’s current struggles, their success over the past decade has set a high standard in football. Their transition to Pep Guardiola’s leadership in 2016, after embracing the Barcelona blueprint, resulted in a dominant team. Recognizing this success, Chelsea has sought to tap into Manchester City’s expertise over the past two and a half years.
Some of Chelsea’s moves have been opportunistic, such as signing Cole Palmer from City in August 2023. However, a broader strategy is evident. Enzo Maresca, hired as head coach last summer, previously served in Guardiola’s backroom staff. Joe Shields, a former youth scout at City, plays a crucial role in Chelsea’s academy restructuring, while Glenn van der Kraan, formerly with City, joined as Chelsea’s academy technical director last October.
These connections have provided Chelsea with substantial benefits. Breaking into City’s first team is a daunting task, leading many young talents to seek opportunities elsewhere. Palmer, for instance, left City in search of regular football and has quickly become one of the Premier League’s best attackers. The connection is also apparent in the signings of Tosin Adarabioyo, Roméo Lavia, and Jadon Sancho, even though they were not acquired directly from City.
The talent drain at Manchester City raises questions, especially considering their recent defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Lavia’s route to Stamford Bridge took him via Southampton, and without his injury woes, he would likely be starting in City’s midfield. Other clubs benefiting from City’s youth exodus include Aston Villa with Morgan Rogers and Ipswich with Liam Delap, who is now wanted by Chelsea less than a year after being sold by Guardiola.
However, City does not seem to regret selling Palmer. They view him as too much of a maverick for Guardiola’s positional system, thriving with more freedom at Chelsea. The only error, they argue, was not negotiating a higher transfer fee than £42.5 million.
The smartest football clubs are always planning for the future. Time will tell if Manchester City’s recent decisions prove to be strategic. Selling academy products benefits the club from a profit and sustainability perspective, as the income is counted as pure profit in accountancy terms. City has spent significantly on rejuvenating their squad, signing players like Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, Uzbekistan center-back Abdukodir Khusanov, and Brazilian defender Vitor Reis.
The process of renewal at City has intensified, and they hope that these new signings will make people forget about the sales of Palmer, Lavia, and Delap. With interest in players like Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, Real Valladolid defender Juma Bah, and Atalanta midfielder Éderson, City is continuously evolving. Hugo Viana will replace Txiki Begiristain this summer, and Guardiola’s contract extension suggests he aims to oversee a successful rebirth akin to Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure at Manchester United.