THREE new Chelsea signings to be OFFLOADED as Boehly's empire takes shape

Updated: 8 Aug 2023 19:06 BST
3 min read

Three new Chelsea signings are earmarked to head on loan to sister club Strasbourg, according to a report.

The Blues are close to signing young forward Deivid Washington from Santos for a fee in the region of €20 million, reports the Evening Standard, but the Brazilian will not feature at Stamford Bridge this season.

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He is one of three new recruits that will head out on loan to Strasbourg, part of Todd Boehly's fledgling football empire after being acquired by BlueCo. Indeed, one of those loans has already been confirmed as Angelo Gabriel has been unveiled by the French club. Like Washington, he joined from Brazilian side Santos.

READ: Who is Deivid Washington? Chelsea’s next Brazilian wonderkid

The third player is believed to be Lesley Ugochukwu, whom Chelsea signed from Stade Rennais for €27m. Despite being desperate for a defensive midfielder, the Blues will ship the 19-year-old out on loan as well.

Chelsea's 'new Vitesse'

This is part of a concerted effort to utilise the ties to Strasbourg in order to develop Chelsea's youngsters. When the takeover was announced, it was met with fierce resistance from the Ligue 1 sides' ultras, prompting the club president to assure them that the Alsatian outfit remained an independent club.

However, questions about their true independence are once again being raised seeing as though they are being turned into a new Vitesse Arnhem, the Dutch side Chelsea starlets like Mason Mount used to be farmed out to.

Though even the Strasbourg ultras will have to acknowledge that they are getting good players due to this partnership, that surely won't be enough to mollify them.

READ: Chelsea have already signed Nkunku's replacement

Neither will the fact that the Alsatians have been able to break their transfer record twice this window with the signings of Abakar Sylla and Emanuel Emegha. The fans surely won't be happy that their club is being used by an American billionaire to prop up his English investment.