Chelsea has managed to do one thing few thought could possibly be attainable: Spend $1 billion on gamers and never get any higher.

In reality, there’s a case to be made that the staff which nonetheless held the standing of European champion as lately as 18 months in the past has deteriorated after an unprecedented spending spree that shocked the soccer world.

Approaching the midway stage of the Premier League marketing campaign, Chelsea is languishing in twelfth place - sandwiched between Wolverhampton and Brentford - having completed final season in the very same place.

That regardless of spending $280 million in the summertime of 2022, $350 million in January this yr and greater than $400 million in the newest offseason.

Turns out Chelsea would possibly must spend some extra.

“Our reality now is midtable,” Chelsea supervisor Mauricio Pochettino mentioned after the staff’s 2-0 loss at Everton on Sunday that uncovered lots of its underlying issues. “And if we need to go up, we have now to push ourselves.

“When the transfer window opens, (we will) see what we can do.”

The alarming factor is that Chelsea’s closely remodeled squad nonetheless appears quick in key areas regardless of the massive outlay on 29 gamers since May 2022, totally on lengthy contracts to unfold “amortization” prices of switch charges.

Pochettino has solely had one match senior striker to name on for many of this season - and that's Nicolas Jackson, a uncooked, 22-year-old Senegal worldwide signed on the again of a robust second half of final season at Villarreal. Jackson’s ending has been erratic and he has struggled to deal with the calls for of main the assault of a much-scrutinized staff at such an early stage of his profession.

Plenty was anticipated of France striker Christopher Nkunku however he hasn’t been seen since sustaining a severe knee downside in preseason, whereas Armando Broja has been out and in due to accidents.

Chelsea managed 16 pictures in opposition to Everton however solely 4 have been on track.

Meanwhile, on the different finish of the sector, the protection is being held collectively by a 39-year-old, Thiago Silva, who needed to be rested in opposition to Everton as a result of it was Chelsea’s third sport in per week.

Center backs Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile have been each plucked from French membership Monaco this yr however have but to ascertain themselves. Reece James, the newly appointed captain, was pressured off in opposition to Everton with the most recent in a protracted line of accidents - it was a hamstring problem this time - and left again Ben Chilwell can be at present sidelined by means of harm.

In objective, Robert Sanchez is in some way Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper having ended final season as Brighton’s No. 2 goalie.

The solely space the place Chelsea has enviable high quality is central midfield, but the axis of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who price round $275 million, mixed - behind Conor Gallagher because the attacking midfielder has but to completely gel. Caicedo, particularly, has not reproduced the performances he had for Brighton final season.

Pochettino mentioned the Chelsea challenge funded by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital required persistence. Shrewder purchases within the switch market are absolutely wanted, too.

“It is a new project, a new team with too many circumstances against us,” Pochettino mentioned. “That’s the fact - too many issues and circumstances from the start of the season.

“It’s not as easy to build something new. That is why it is about being strong in what we assess and be clever and take decisions to try to improve in the second part of the season, to be more competitive and get the results a club like Chelsea deserves.”

The big-spending new homeowners can not have foreseen having back-to-back seasons outdoors the profitable Champions League, although, and that appears more and more seemingly even when there’s an opportunity England has 5 groups in Europe’s high competitors that expands to 36 golf equipment subsequent yr.

Unlike Tottenham, for instance, Chelsea isn’t taking advantage of not being in any European competitions this season. Pochettino usually has a full week to arrange for matches but it surely hardly reveals - the staff has gained simply 5 of its 16 matches within the league.

The upcoming schedule for Chelsea throughout the packed festive calendar in English soccer appears benign, on paper anyway, and may provide an opportunity to climb up the standings. Sheffield United, Wolverhampton, Crystal Palace and Luton are the opponents earlier than the flip of the yr, all of whom are under Chelsea within the desk.

If Chelsea remains to be within the backside half of the standings heading into 2024, severe questions can be requested of Pochettino - and panic will certainly be spreading by means of the boardroom at Stamford Bridge a couple of daring switch technique that, because it stands, has gone fallacious.

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