Graeme Souness says Chelsea’s owners won’t settle for mediocrity (Picture: talkSPORT)
Graeme Souness says big-money Chelsea signings Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson ‘have to improve’ as the club will not settle for mediocrity.
Chelsea have underwhelmed in Mauricio Pochettino’s first season at Stamford Bridge, winning just 11 of their 27 Premier League games to slip into the bottom-half of the table.
The Blues did reach the EFL Cup final – where they were beaten in extra-time by Liverpool – and could yet win the FA Cup, though they face European champions Manchester City in the semi-finals.
Chelsea’s struggles come despite the club spending over £1billion on new signings since Todd Boehly purchased the club in May 2022.
Boehly sanctioned a £107m move for Fernandez – making the Argentina World Cup winner the most expensive signing in British football – and then spent another £100m to beat Liverpool to Moises Caicedo.
Nicolas Jackson’s move to Stamford Bridge, meanwhile, cost the Premier League around £32m – but none of the expensive stars are flourishing in west London.
‘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.
Enzo Fernandez cost Chelsea more than £100m (Picture: Getty)
‘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.
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‘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.’
Following the international break, Chelsea resume their domestic campaign against Burnley on March 30. They then face Manchester United, Sheffield United and Everton before their FA Cup clash with Manchester City.
Manchester United meet Championship side Coventry City in the other semi-final tie, with the FA Cup final set to take place at Wembley on May 25.
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