Graeme Souness names three Chelsea signings who ‘HAVE to improve’ as he insists the Blues will have to spend big money again if they don’t ‘start turning up’
Graeme Souness has named three big-money Chelsea signings who need to improve after difficult starts to life at Stamford Bridge.
The club have spent over £1bn since Todd Boehly purchased the club in 2022, yet have shown no major improvement in Mauricio Pochettino’s first year in charge.
Chelsea were beaten in extra-time by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final and currently sit inside the bottom half of the Premier League table.
The club’s hierarchy and supporters have aspirations of challenging for regular trophies, and Souness believes they will have to spend big again if Enzo Fernandes, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson don’t improve.
‘The hierarchy at Chelsea and the supporters at Chelsea must just be hoping that it’s going to take a year for these new players to bed in and get a look at the Premier League and then they’ll kick on,’ Souness told talkSPORT.
Graeme Souness believes three Chelsea players ‘have to improve’ or the Blues will have to spend big money again to ensure they are not a mid-table team
Souness says Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are ‘not showing £100m-player qualities’
Nicolas Jackson has scored 12 goals this season but Souness still expects more from him
‘Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo… they’re not really showing £100m-player qualities right now. They have to improve.
‘[Nicolas] Jackson up front has to improve too. They will all be hoping this is a learning year for them but they have to up their game.
‘I try to cut them some slack because they’re young but those three have to start turning up, and others. If they don’t Chelsea are going to have to go again when it comes to spending money.
‘Because if that’s their quality they’re a mid-table team, and that won’t be acceptable to the owners or the fans. That’s a group of supporters who are used to winning silverware.’
Fernandez broke the British transfer record fee when he joined Chelsea in a £107m move in January 2023.
They broke the British record again just seven months later when they beat Liverpool to the £115m signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
However, both players have struggled to live up to their price tag since their respective arrivals.
Jackson was considerably cheaper at £32m, but has also struggled since he joined the club.
Todd Boehly has spent over £1bn since he purchased the club, with no success to date
Jackson has netted 12 goals in all competitions, though that mark could arguably be considerably higher given the amount of golden opportunities he has missed this season.
Chelsea still have a chance of silverware this season, though they will be considerable underdogs when they play Manchester City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
The Blues will be hoping for a strong end to the domestic campaign, and they resume action against Burnley on March 30.
