'Mbappe won't want to come' as Boehly 'will kill' Chelsea
Tom Weber
- Updated: 28 Sept 2023 15:30 BST
- 4 min read
Former Premier League stars Paul Merson and Frank Leboeuf are in agreement that Chelsea are on a Gardarene charge into self-destruction under Todd Boehly.
Despite a much-needed EFL Cup victory over a relatively poor Brighton, the mood at Stamford Bridge is still sour. The dreadful start to Mauricio Pochettino's reign and the constant injury problems - now compounded by captain Reece James potentially getting himself banned despite not even playing - have seen any enthusiasm over the Argentine's appointment dissipate in record time.
If things continue like this, it will have dire consequences for the Blues. Former Arsenal star Paul Merson believes that one of them will be the departure of some of Chelsea's biggest hitters like erstwhile record signing Enzo Fernandez.
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“My worry would be Enzo Fernandez,” Merson said on Sky Sports. “I don’t think he hangs around. I think if it carries on like it is. £100 million player and a World Cup winner.
“These players don’t want to play middle-of-the-table football. They don’t. They have got the money. They want to win trophies. That’s what it’s all about, winning trophies. They all get big money now.”
Boehly 'will kill' Chelsea
Ex-Blues player Frank Leboeuf echoed this sentiment and went even further while speaking to Casinos En Ligne. "Let's be realistic - Chelsea are a mid-table club," he said.
"Attracting players will be tough and players like [Kylian] Mbappe won't want to come. The big players want to play in the Champions League...Top players won't come to Chelsea because the club has fallen."
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"It's unbelievable what the club has become just two years on from their Champions League win. I'm disgusted with it. I have nothing against Todd Boehly, but they need to change things quickly or else they'll kill the club."
"I'd say the people in charge of recruitment are the most to blame. It's OK to sign young players to long contracts if they're committed, but the board has forgotten to balance the team.
"The spine of the team is very young apart from [Thiago] Silva and there's not much experience there. Even Enzo Fernandez looks very young, despite knowing the game inside out."
"I don't see the leadership, and that's the main problem. The recruitment team didn't think of that, and I think everybody is responsible."
