You can accuse Chelsea’s new ownership of a few things, but penny pinching isn’t one of them.
When they’ve found a target they like, they’ve gone all out made it happen. When players haven’t joined – like Jules Kounde or Raphinha – it’s been because of personal reasons and offers from elsewhere, not because Todd Boehly hasn’t got his credit card out.
That’s why it’s interesting to hear that the deal for Cesare Casadei, the talented Inter youngster we were linked to last week, has stalled. Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard has said that it’s because Chelsea are “working out” whether to pay the £12m that the Italian side want.
It’s good to know that we’re still paying attention to what players are worth, and not just writing blank cheques to European clubs to get ripped off with.
£12m is not a lot in Chelsea terms – it’s a season or two of Romelu Lukaku’s wages, for one. We reckon we will stump up in the end.
