Chelsea have had a very strict transfer policy under Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, who took over the club in 2022.
At present, Chelsea’s strategy is to sign young players, which is why Rennes’ Jeremy Jacquet is currently a target for the Blues.
Chelsea are keen to sign Jacquet, who is 20 years of age, before the transfer window closes.
How much would you be willing to pay for Jeremy Jacquet?💰
Rennes name Jeremy Jacquet price tag
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As Chelsea continue to target youngsters like Jacquet, more experienced players are being overlooked.
Joao Pedro of Chelsea challenges Joao Palhinha of Tottenham Hotspur
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Chelsea thought Joao Palhinha was ‘too old’
One footballer Chelsea are alleged to have snubbed is Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Joao Palhinha.
Journalist Alex Crook recently claimed that the Club World Cup winners opted against signing the Portuguese when he was at Fulham because of his age.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Crook said: “There’s talk of a €100m price tag that Atletico have put on his [Julian Alvarez’s] head. It’s not really the Chelsea way because he’s 25, so he’s going to be 26 next birthday. I know they ruled out signing Joao Palhinha when he was at Fulham because at 26, they felt he was too old.”
If you could sign one player to add more experience to this Chelsea team, who would you pick?
Chelsea are the youngest team in the Champions League with an average starting XI age of 24 years and 21 days.
– BBC Sport
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Palhinha eventually moved to Bayern Munich but joined Tottenham on loan last summer after being left out of Vincent Kompany’s plans.
Chelsea could sign a new midfielder in the next transfer window, but given his age, it will not be Palhinha.
Chelsea prefer Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, though they face fierce competition for the England international’s signature.
For now, there are no indications that Boehly and Eghbali are going to change the club’s transfer strategy.
Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali watch on during Real Betis Balompie v Chelsea FC - UEFA Conference League Final 2025
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Palhinha not a good fit for Chelsea
Palhinha is a fantastic ball-winner. According to WhoScored, he makes 3.7 tackles per game, which is the second-highest average in the Premier League.
However, when in possession, there are simply much better midfielders in England. Palhinha is not the kind of player who is going to receive the ball on the edge of his box while under pressure before turning and playing a forward pass.
When you consider that, he would have been an awful fit for Enzo Maresca last season, a manager who is insistent on his team playing out from the back.
In the end, then, Chelsea probably made the right call not signing Palhinha, though you can question their reasoning, which was not about profile on this occasion.
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