Potter warned Chelsea of 'overpriced' player, bloated squad
New revelations about Graham Potter and his tumultuous time at Chelsea are beginning to surface regarding his squad. The English manager supposedly warned the club that Enzo Fernandez’s asking price was far too high. Moreover, Chelsea and owner Todd Boehly bought too many players.
According to The Guardian, Potter was hesitant for the club to meet Fernandez’s massive price tag. Chelsea and Benfica were in talks for a potential transfer of the defensive midfielder for weeks back in January. The Blues, under owners Toddy Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, attempted to drive the fee down. However, the owners were unsuccessful.
Blues broke British transfer record on Fernandez
Chelsea ended up securing Fernandez for a deal worth over $125 million. The fee is the current British record for a soccer transfer. Eghbali was the driving force behind the move.
Like most of the club’s players this season, Fernandez endured a rough 2022/23 campaign. Although he showed glimpses of his passing range, the Argentine, like many in the Chelsea ranks, needs time to adapt to the pace of the English division. In fact, no other Premier League central midfielder was dribbled past more often per 90 minutes than Fernandez this season.
Potter had concerns about bloated squad at Chelsea
Along with reservations about Fernandez’s value, Potter also questioned the sheer quantity of incomings during the season. Chelsea signed 16 new players during the two transfer windows of the campaign. This also does not include players that rejoined the squad after a previous season on loan. In all, the club posted a net spend of nearly $600 million in the new regime’s first year at the helm.
Despite spending a massive amount of money, the Blues suffered regardless of the manager. Under Boehly and Eghbali, Chelsea had four different head coaches during the 2022/23 season. Potter lasted the longest of the quartet, despite being with the club for just 31 total matches. The Blues finished 12th in the Premier League table.
The English coach was regularly ridiculed for his indecisiveness during his time with the west London club. However, the massive additions to the team couldn’t have helped Potter form any time of stability with his squad.
The aforementioned British news source is even claiming that Boehly has questioned his decision to fire Potter so early. Nevertheless, Chelsea recently revealed that Mauricio Pochettino is the team’s next manager. The Argentine coach has arrived on a two-year contract with the club.
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